tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1946000663918686562024-03-15T18:09:42.719-07:00Emotions for EngineersThe language and understanding of emotions are foreign to many who are trained in logic and objectivity. I address topics that would have helped me if I had understood them earlier in my life. I hope to demystify this language by putting it into a context, words, and displays that an engineer would understand. I hope the reader will gain insights that have a positive impact on his or her life.Tony Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688318289784215712noreply@blogger.comBlogger78125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194600066391868656.post-37254436444947552402021-09-09T12:55:00.006-07:002021-09-09T12:55:00.219-07:00The CPAP Noise Blues<p>I have previously written about my experience with my CPAP and APAP machines—<a href="https://www.emotionsforengineers.com/2019/01/cpap-machines-and-taking-control-of.html" target="_blank">most recently in 2019</a>. My experience has been positive; I am sleeping better today than I ever have.</p><p>One challenge we have had is noise from the machine or me. It can be difficult to diagnose, because if I could hear or sense it, I could probably fix it, but because I am asleep during the noise, it can be difficult to guess what is happening.</p><p>There are a few physical clues that the sleeper might receive. </p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Eyes dry or crusted could be a leak around the upper nose area.</li><li>Before falling asleep, you can usually sense air leaks around the mask, they will not get better when you start to sleep.</li><li>Dry mouth could mean that the sleeper is opening their mouth and letting air flow out.</li><li>A sore throat might mean that you are snoring in your sleep.</li></ol><p></p><p>1 and 2 are usually simple fixes with your headgear, unless you need an entirely new fitting.</p><p>3 can be fixed with a chinstrap or by getting fitted for a full face mask</p><p>4 means you may need another sleep test or to adjust pressure.</p><p>Beyond that though, it can be difficult to figure out what is going on.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLRi_RZeWyuIXyp5zBT3y6z7_kTuffJb5Rthj3pFtwbPeMAqPTjxZIkrpGjl48nNP_MoJffbUxELhgX8fs81ITbUHQSZS8WtxfmD9EdnHVJF32d9NVvYvRhiCjfDqADDpzf95Y2iSlfz5H/s2048/CPAPDecision.jpg" style="clear: right; display: inline; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLRi_RZeWyuIXyp5zBT3y6z7_kTuffJb5Rthj3pFtwbPeMAqPTjxZIkrpGjl48nNP_MoJffbUxELhgX8fs81ITbUHQSZS8WtxfmD9EdnHVJF32d9NVvYvRhiCjfDqADDpzf95Y2iSlfz5H/w480-h640/CPAPDecision.jpg" width="480" /></a>Never fear though. I have put together a decision tree that might help you and your partner figure out what is happening. Just start in the upper left and follow the questions and answers.</p><p><br /></p><p>This is the first pass, so I am confident it's not perfect. I think it's a reasonable start.</p><p><br /></p><p>I appreciate any feedback you may have.</p><p>Best, </p><p>e4e</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Tony Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688318289784215712noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194600066391868656.post-77910706634254204162021-08-25T13:02:00.003-07:002021-08-26T12:10:59.258-07:00Next Round of Weight Loss and Health Gain – 2021 COVID Edition<p><span style="font-family: inherit;">On March 18, 2021, I decided once again to get my health under control.</span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I weighed about 255 at 5’10”, I have blood pressure and sleep apnea issues, and had lapsed into significant inactivity and poor eating habits during COVID. I had tremendous success in the past by simply going low carb while continuing a pretty intense exercise regimen. I had stopped doing the intense workouts a few years back due to injury, so decided to focus on diet.</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But I’m different from some people. Many apply discipline, eat in moderation, and seldom stray. I live for straying. I love good food and drink, and like to binge on whatever during vacations. Then I lose it, don’t monitor for a few years, and gain it all back.</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I tend to be all or nothing, so I decided to go with an extreme diet. </span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><a href="http://www.bodyrecomposition.com" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">Lyle McDonald</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> has been considered by many to be a leading voice in diet and fitness. Although some consider him rude, he is extremely knowledgeable and bases his guidance on science and experience. He went through some psychological issues a few years back, and is back and generally more polite. Regardless, he knows his stuff. </span>He has a lot of posts from many years back about health, fat loss, and fitness on his website and also sells his books through the website or Amazon. <span style="font-family: inherit;">He recently published “</span><a href="https://amzn.to/3zkM9JY" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">The Women’s Book: Vol. 1</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">” and had previously published “<a href="https://amzn.to/3jcyTl7" target="_blank">A Guide to Flexible Dieting</a>” and “</span><a href="https://amzn.to/3gvlUZW" target="_blank">The Ketogenic Diet: A Complete Guide for the Dieter and Practitioner</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">” among other books. The book I decided to use for this surge was "</span><a href="https://amzn.to/3sKlV18" target="_blank">The Rapid Fat Loss Handbook: A Scientific Approach to Crash Dieting</a>"<span style="font-family: inherit;"> (RFL). You can order from his website as well as the affiliate Amazon links I posted. He gives discounts as well in some cases.</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">RFL is a protein-sparing modified fast (PSMF) diet. The idea is to lose weight as fast as possible without harming the body in any way. Harm can occur during extended fasts by the wasting of muscle and organs as it converts protein to glucose for your brain (about 50 grams per day). Based on your size and fat level, you eat a set amount of lean protein, unlimited greens, and non-starchy veggies, spices, non-calorie condiments, a bit of fish oil, and otherwise nothing.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Lyle also recommends full bodyweight training at a moderate level a few times per week. This helps stimulate muscle preservation. I did not do that.</span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Finally, he recommends that you use real food rather than protein shakes or liquid protein. Not that it matters for weight or the diet, but to help you get used to eating real food. It is useful though to have some quick backups for those times when you are just too lazy to do something better, when in a hurry, or out of the proper foods. My go-to simple meal has been 0% Fage yogurt with a scoop of protein powder. For satiety, it is best to use a protein that digests more slowly such as casein or milk protein isolate (MPO). Casein has a chalky mouthfeel, so I used MPO. I designed <a href="http://truenutrition.com/p-1126-custom-mix.aspx?mix=6dc264a30e18475791aba77512d68871" target="_blank">my own mixes</a> on <a href="http://www.truenutrition.com" target="_blank">True Nutrition</a>. Their <a href="https://truenutrition.com/p-1111-omega-3-fish-oil-1000mg-250-softgels.aspx" target="_blank">fish oil pills</a> are also consistent with Lyle's recommended fish oil compositions. If you order from True Nutrition, <b>use the code e4e at checkout for a discount</b>. Of course, I earn a little bit if you do too.</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For me, if I ate my requisite protein, it works out to about a pound of lean chicken per day, fish oil pills, and very low cal veggies for perhaps 700 - 800 calories per day.</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There are also various free meal and diet break recommendations. And to be completely clear, this is not meant to be a permanent way of eating. It is a diet made to lose fat as quickly as possible, then move into maintenance. </span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Has It Worked?</b></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-RHEAYgsYppyZroPvarf47rc4u15vDumX-505Nl_lWJdqNubCHgRSJQxt8vVdPcu75fVmohI9eYXIxfeEVP9qjlCRTG7Q7B7XAPz1Ps2hxs5pMhsJX1X-4mIFJzwH5Kp0qZvVDnIdOZQ/s1654/Weight.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1654" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-RHEAYgsYppyZroPvarf47rc4u15vDumX-505Nl_lWJdqNubCHgRSJQxt8vVdPcu75fVmohI9eYXIxfeEVP9qjlCRTG7Q7B7XAPz1Ps2hxs5pMhsJX1X-4mIFJzwH5Kp0qZvVDnIdOZQ/s320/Weight.jpg" width="290" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Like a charm. Since March 18, (5 months) I have lost about 50 lbs. I had a few diet breaks: one for a road trip and wedding shower, one for the wedding itself. I ate all I wanted on those trips with little regard for diet.</span><div><br /><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It is important to bear in mind that the first five pounds or so of weight loss is mostly water weight, lost as your muscles and liver deplete glycogen stores.</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><span style="font-family: inherit;">To be honest, I have not been super strict in following the diet. I often (maybe twice per week) would have a glass of wine at night, there were some sweets that I ate here and there (rare), and some soda waters with a few grams of sugar. I also indulged a bit beyond what I should have with my free meals. I suspect I might have lost another five pounds or so if I had been religious.</span></div><div><p></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I hope to lose another 20 pounds by the end of the year.</span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Weight Loss Chart</b></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">On the weight loss chart, you can see weight change from about 255 to a little over 205 across five months.</p><p></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">It is quite clear on the chart where I took diet breaks. The first was a road trip through Arches NAtional Park and on to Denver for a wedding shower; the second was the wedding itself.</p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><b>What About That Protein-Sparing Part?</b></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvkzefnkR-1s90Y3n7jWMcT5PNiWbAS15ISAdXvfGn9mp4vdkSmKC_BvU9Fq5-_8aD0248x9AOvOdqiFuWibCIqpkZU6VNYZIfmozLQudbgiK1w7TKI7kz4jYRS5LFMmQyct5-_5W8kumg/s1654/Fat.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1654" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvkzefnkR-1s90Y3n7jWMcT5PNiWbAS15ISAdXvfGn9mp4vdkSmKC_BvU9Fq5-_8aD0248x9AOvOdqiFuWibCIqpkZU6VNYZIfmozLQudbgiK1w7TKI7kz4jYRS5LFMmQyct5-_5W8kumg/s320/Fat.jpg" width="290" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">There are various methods to measure body fat. Essentially anything that is not fat is lean body mass (LBM). So a person with 30% body fat is 70% lean mass. This includes water, muscle, bone, the contents of intestines, blood—everything not fat is LBM. So a 200 lb person with 30% fat would be carrying 60 lbs of fat and 140 of LBM. If that person lost 10 lbs of fat and no LBM, they would now weigh 190 and have 50 Lb of fat and the same 140 of LBM. But now their body fat would be 26.3%.</span><p></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I used a Tanita impedance scale to measure my body fat. Impedance scales are not accurate. I believe though that using them over time gives a reasonable indication of direction. If someone has better information I would love to hear it, but it’s what I have done and the basis of the graphs below.</span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Note: the fat and LBM graphs are very noisy. The scale measures electrical resistance through your body and converts that resistance into a percent fat number. The resistance measurement has noise due to hydration and other factors. I included a polynomial best fit on the next two charts</span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b>Fat Loss Chart</b></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Importantly, fat loss is about 30 pounds. That's 60% of the total weight. Just for context, 30 pounds is about the same volume as four gallons. Four 1-gallon milk jugs of fat have come out of my body. Wow!</p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU4PeXB_QQjBwjA9RySeNv87NxVf3NLfjeMSF_eonZ9vddYko1AO7KzkDXQFxUOQdGs7RSnKRlFs8vtEpwSuPBNZwtlPO3XwMlXL9YDxecP14DG6R9KLoFpB-JL5bSXAJO6Hil80AhBb22/s1522/Lean.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1002" data-original-width="1522" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU4PeXB_QQjBwjA9RySeNv87NxVf3NLfjeMSF_eonZ9vddYko1AO7KzkDXQFxUOQdGs7RSnKRlFs8vtEpwSuPBNZwtlPO3XwMlXL9YDxecP14DG6R9KLoFpB-JL5bSXAJO6Hil80AhBb22/s320/Lean.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Lean Body Mass Chart</b></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">LBM went from about 159 to 150 (using the curve fit line). I am not crazy about that loss, but I have only myself to blame, as resistance exercise would likely have improved that outcome.</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><br /></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><b>e4e Take:</b></i></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Lyle is a diet and fitness nerd and a great resource. His style can be abrasive, but once you get past that, you will learn a lot.</i></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The PSMF diet is not for everyone, but it is a good approach for me. About 60% of the weight I lost has been fat, which is good considering that only (?!?!) 35% of my body was fat to start. I believe that if I had done resistance workouts as recommended, that 60% number would have been higher.</i></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Shifting over to maintenance has generally been pretty easy for me, the problem I have is maintaining some discipline when I start to slip. I want to be able to live, socialize, and have fun without constantly obsessing about food. I am planning to weigh myself weekly and if I hit some threshold weight, jump back on PSMF for a week or two as convenient. We'll see how that works. Separately, I will ramp up some weight training as COVID further dissipates to see if I can build up my muscle a bit. As we age, it becomes more difficult because of hormones.</i></span></p></div>Tony Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688318289784215712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194600066391868656.post-14475571123928276052020-08-11T21:19:00.005-07:002020-08-11T21:19:00.139-07:00Comments General Guidelines from Cassie Kozyrkov<p><i>I am active on LinkedIn these days and one of the people whose work I follow is <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassie-kozyrkov-9531919/" target="_blank">Cassie Kozyrkov, Chief Decision Scientist at Google.</a> </i></p><p><i>She has great articles, blog posts and videos. If statistics and Decision Science interest ou, she is great. You should follow her.</i></p><p><i>Anyway, she published a set of guidelines for comments on her posts which I thought were really good. I asked her if I could steal the guidelines and she said yes, so here we are. The following are my general guidelines. I made a few very minor changes to hers.</i></p><p>"Hi folks! A quick update on how I handle your comments on my posts.</p><p>"Your positive comments bring me joy and are what makes toiling on weekends worth it. I'm smiling on the inside even though I won't have time to give them all the "thank you" they deserve.</p><p>"Your comments that take the content in new directions thrill me and give me new ideas.</p><p>"Your questions provide fodder for new material.</p><p>"Your negative comments that critically and thoughtfully engage with the content specifics and help your peers (and me) learn stay.</p><p>"Your comments pointing out specific errors I've made are" kept "even after I fix my mistakes. Thank you!" [Keeps me humble a little.]</p><p>"Your comments with spoilers (e.g. "the answer is B") are deleted.</p><p>"Your comments which contain incorrect conclusions are deleted so that other readers don't get misinformed. My apologies!</p><p>"Harassing / ad hominem / negative comments like "this sucks/you suck/people like you suck" without a helpful explanation to benefit readers are deleted because they disproportionately discourage others from reading the content to form their own views.</p><p>"Why did I tell you this? So that you don't use the comments as data. They're not a poll. There are people who like my writing and there are people who don't. </p><p>"To those who like it, thanks for joining me and keeping me motivated!</p><p>"Four more varieties:</p><p>"Comments that are harmlessly off-topic usually stay, but not if they're very distracting.</p><p>"Comments that are trying to sell something are deleted.</p><p>"Comments that make it painfully obvious that you didn't read what you're commenting on are deleted.</p><p>"Comments with intelligent humor / wordplay about the topic are my most treasured favorite thing. They make my day. (Sometimes I even respond to them when I ought to be working.) I've had some really great laughs on this forum and I'm deeply grateful for all you quick-witted, cheeky, cheerful people."</p><p>There it is. She's really great, and I really like her philosophy for engagement.</p><p>Best to all, and keep safe.</p>Tony Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688318289784215712noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194600066391868656.post-14439397300169984612020-06-21T12:25:00.002-07:002020-06-21T12:26:01.623-07:00Snow Fences and Protective Masks in Times of COVID<br />
I am not going to wade into the details of whether COVID exists or whether physical distancing and shutting down the economy in the hopes of saving lives is a good trade-off or even effective.<br />
<br />
Rather, I want to talk about masks and what they do.<br />
<br />
<b>Two Views</b><br />
<br />
I'm going to lead by saying the early guidance that masks were ineffective was a disastrous statement and policy. The subsequent reversal left millions of people confused.<br />
<br />
Now we hear a lot of people saying that masks don't help the wearer, they help others. What is the truth?<br />
<br />
There are two views that I have seen about masks. The main one is that they protect others--not he wearer. There's another group of people saying that the main purpose of masks is to protect the wearer and they're not effective at that.<br />
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Both of these views may be correct in the right context, but it also depends on the mask.<br />
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<b>Masks as Snow Fences</b><br />
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If you grew up somewhere with snow, you have seen snow fences. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtM_Dum5lfXw2-5kfA3cogGIh4vyGrEqmv8iHszwXtVhyLqdLgCV8PV6YA2kXgXjkhQCM3YtPKP0XhLZdMgt00JXGA8HmrA35En8Vy9Qx5GFHJo5M_i2OEWJrMveHDpEfJR4VqkMH0yrEk/s1600/snow-fence-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="174" data-original-width="300" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtM_Dum5lfXw2-5kfA3cogGIh4vyGrEqmv8iHszwXtVhyLqdLgCV8PV6YA2kXgXjkhQCM3YtPKP0XhLZdMgt00JXGA8HmrA35En8Vy9Qx5GFHJo5M_i2OEWJrMveHDpEfJR4VqkMH0yrEk/s400/snow-fence-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ7yPs7MD88mDkGjNna52gF_9G0Ov6iSDT2ZowXpi5MHeoAgxiMPBivGVlEa8VfCTkLUTzMg7j5pd8GOJlert-1J1qQRjp2tDuSv9ZaH-f_C3UuJDDjTXjOiSgDA02uMTPKS_PTBpLc3Jc/s1600/wickedWitch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="714" data-original-width="1114" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ7yPs7MD88mDkGjNna52gF_9G0Ov6iSDT2ZowXpi5MHeoAgxiMPBivGVlEa8VfCTkLUTzMg7j5pd8GOJlert-1J1qQRjp2tDuSv9ZaH-f_C3UuJDDjTXjOiSgDA02uMTPKS_PTBpLc3Jc/s400/wickedWitch.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
When I was a kid I thought it was preposterous that a fence made of slats of wood with big openings between the slats could possibly stop snow from drifting. Once I started studying physics and geology it made sense.<br />
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Snow fences don't stop snow like a solid wall would stop snow something, rather they rely on physics. When the wind blows, it carries particles. It could be dust, snow, leaves, sand, raindrops, etc. The stronger the wind, the larger the particles and the more of them it can carry. Think of a tornado full of dirt, cows, houses, and <i>wicked witches on bicycles</i>.<br />
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Once the moving air loses energy, the heaviest particles drop out and land, as it loses more energy, all but the smallest and least dense particles drop to the ground.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKFMZvIqoEn_g6psPtqtNncik2zzJkQJpijG6jEbyPjJr6N0Cj2faomhCgEZpZE5NJVsvrJgLf_IfKZGpKYqsIItvV8uxJO_ej7l0gYVwbegOyIEDr98WWufSwDYHmb6uZwE56-gqZNU1a/s1600/how-snow-fence-works.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="356" data-original-width="600" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKFMZvIqoEn_g6psPtqtNncik2zzJkQJpijG6jEbyPjJr6N0Cj2faomhCgEZpZE5NJVsvrJgLf_IfKZGpKYqsIItvV8uxJO_ej7l0gYVwbegOyIEDr98WWufSwDYHmb6uZwE56-gqZNU1a/s400/how-snow-fence-works.jpg" width="400" /></a>The snow fence then does not block the particles, <a href="https://snowfencestore.com/why-wooden-snow-fence.html" target="_blank">rather, it robs energy from the wind, </a>which then causes the particles to drop to the ground because there is no longer the energy to carry them.<br />
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When you cough, sneeze, or even breathe heavily, there is relatively high energy air coming out of your mouth. The energy in that carries air, moisture, and any other stuff like snot, mucus, or COVID 19.<br />
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Fortunately, snot drops out first, the other stuff though, depending on the density, temperature, can carry feet or yards. Air and moisture are not harmful, but of course, bacteria and virii can be.<br />
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Cheap cotton masks then work like a snow fence. When you breathe or cough or sneeze, through the cotton, the energy is reduced. There is no filtration at all for small virii, but the reduction of the energy means it may not go across the store and into other aisles.<br />
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<b>What About Filtration</b><br />
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This graphic shows how effective the different masks are for filtration and protecting the <b>wearer</b>.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnuAR3oWmo5cXbsSaVf77pPS2JqxhcryQHsIap46D0veo413P0foonbKjDuwHUATVpeLxttLGK1CpsE_yaqZqt8DdVgq1opPgDV8cBoPiao6VkoTyrLV4RwkohD0Q235HRciL9R6EEQNxT/s1600/IMG_0528.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="932" data-original-width="960" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnuAR3oWmo5cXbsSaVf77pPS2JqxhcryQHsIap46D0veo413P0foonbKjDuwHUATVpeLxttLGK1CpsE_yaqZqt8DdVgq1opPgDV8cBoPiao6VkoTyrLV4RwkohD0Q235HRciL9R6EEQNxT/s400/IMG_0528.jpeg" width="400" /></a><br />
There are a few important things to note. The N95 mask in the graphic has a vent. This is an unfiltered vent that allows air to go out but not in. So while the N95 gives the wearer excellent protection, protection of others is much lower. It's not zero though. The vents are typically directed downwards, and in any case, there will be some reduction of energy as it passes through the mechanism of the vent.<br />
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Surgical masks are not quite as effective in terms of bacteria, but because there's no vent, it would be more effective at protecting others. There is strong filtration <b>and</b> a snow fence effect.<br />
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Once you get to the bottom from the main impact from a virus standpoint is as a snow fence. The wearer gets very little protection from viruses.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0qqEweaoCZieD6yx7phdELxoMmxSAbicdqtlSPn8r6Q6g80-tAsylz_0xHwdNp23TCU66jy0iDu7r6oWXQ-KU2FJqy7Oho5ic_9CFOoOMq3K31v1my4v-zhfeBlvUD6CEU_FpBkEXCELf/s1600/Masks2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="289" data-original-width="289" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0qqEweaoCZieD6yx7phdELxoMmxSAbicdqtlSPn8r6Q6g80-tAsylz_0xHwdNp23TCU66jy0iDu7r6oWXQ-KU2FJqy7Oho5ic_9CFOoOMq3K31v1my4v-zhfeBlvUD6CEU_FpBkEXCELf/s400/Masks2.jpg" width="399" /></a><b><i>E4E Take:</i></b><br />
All this can be summed up below.<br />
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Cotton masks at the bottom do very little to protect the wearer but have some positive (snow fence) impact in protecting others.<br />
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N95 masks with a vent do a good job of filtration but are less effective in protecting others. This is because the vent is unfiltered. N95 masks can feel stifling to some people.<br />
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Surgical masks are slightly less protective of the wearer than N95s but are also quite good in protecting others. There is both filtration and the snow fence effect going on.<br />
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There may be some downsides to wearing masks, but I have not seen empirical evidence that the net effect on public health would be negative.<br />
<br />Tony Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688318289784215712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194600066391868656.post-46363107258151533552020-03-13T13:35:00.002-07:002020-03-13T13:35:56.592-07:00Wait But Why?--Why are we so polarized and why are those other people so stupid and evil?I have been following this blog for a while. It mostly has pretty interesting, fun, light, but thoughtful content. For example <a href="https://waitbutwhy.com/2013/12/11-awkward-things-about-email.html" target="_blank">here is one called "Eleven Awkward Things About Email." </a> <a href="https://waitbutwhy.com/2013/10/why-procrastinators-procrastinate.html" target="_blank">Here's one on Procrastination</a> and <a href="https://waitbutwhy.com/2013/11/how-to-beat-procrastination.html" target="_blank">one on beating procrastination</a>.<br />
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Tim Urban, the author, even did a <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/tim_urban_inside_the_mind_of_a_master_procrastinator" target="_blank">TED Talk on procrastination</a>.<br />
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In 2019, he started a series called "<a href="https://waitbutwhy.com/2019/08/story-of-us.html" target="_blank">The Story of Us</a>"<br />
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It's one of those series that you just know is right--and maybe really important.<br />
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The entire series covers the spectrum of how and why we think, act, and argue. I have put some incomplete summaries of the posts below. But <b>read them for yourself. </b>It changed the way I think about discourse and you may find it useful as well.<br />
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<a href="https://waitbutwhy.com/2019/08/story-intro.html" target="_blank">Chapter 0: Introduction</a> - The US is looking pretty bad these days. The divide between the two major parties is bitter and troubling. There's something wrong, but it's hard to know exactly what. Even writing about these topics can be contentious and troubling. As you read through the series, try to remain humble and keep your mind open. I know that the series has opened my mind to a new way of thinking about what I know and how I think I know it. Off we go.<br />
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Section 1: The Power Games<br />
<a href="https://waitbutwhy.com/2019/08/fire-light.html" target="_blank"><b>Chapter 1: The Great Battle of Fire and Light</b></a> - Humans are animals. All animals have survival genes that run on automatic. It's what <a href="https://amzn.to/370Cmd6" target="_blank">Kahneman calls System 1</a>. That thinking system is wired for survival of the genes. A few million years ago, humans developed a superpower--the ability to reason. This is Kahneman's System 2. The two systems are in constant conflict in your mind. When System 2 is in charge, logic and reason prevail. When it's system 1, instinct takes over. Primitive vs Higher Mind; Fire vs. Light. That is the conflict in us all.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6q0R-L1pxhDaWiFV6c3NYlNf6Jx6HE14agEmZgUkgWzHyQQHv5XFNI0Yb-1NxiOXK8QUMgyHq8-B6eBfjnODINvFsbC1yGIA8syv9l80ou8LWfQCN-XV_8C1XpXpYy5qIJTkSKrVvgGT/s1600/Emergence-wolves-ants.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1509" data-original-width="1031" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6q0R-L1pxhDaWiFV6c3NYlNf6Jx6HE14agEmZgUkgWzHyQQHv5XFNI0Yb-1NxiOXK8QUMgyHq8-B6eBfjnODINvFsbC1yGIA8syv9l80ou8LWfQCN-XV_8C1XpXpYy5qIJTkSKrVvgGT/s320/Emergence-wolves-ants.png" width="217" /></a><br />
<a href="https://waitbutwhy.com/2019/08/giants.html" target="_blank"><b>Chapter 2: A Game of Giants</b></a> - The Emergence of Life started with cells banding together. Those cells joined other cells, which formed organs, systems of organs, and ultimately animals emerged. Those animals, in turn, formed tribes. Those tribes in the ancient world were necessary to survival. They could combine to bring out the best or the worst of humanity, depending on the circumstances. We can turn from kumbaya to dog eat dog at the flick of a switch.<br />
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<br />
<a href="https://waitbutwhy.com/2019/09/stories.html" target="_blank"><b>Chapter 3: A Story of Stories</b> </a>- Tribes have similar tendencies as humans. It is a level up from individual humans. We slide up and down the scale from individuals to part of a tribe to part of a large society easily depending on circumstances. Ultimately a person's behavior is a function of Motivation (Morals, Primal Urges, Values) and their environment, which is really their perception of reality. Enter the STORY. Stories are the narratives that tie together Motivation and Environment. Stories that become "viral" tie tribes together. The most lasting and powerful stories have a set of attributes in common. They create an indoctrination-intimidation feedback loop that makes the story and behaviors driven by that story self-perpetuating. This brings us further up the emergence tower from thousands to millions and billions. But the tribal behaviors persist, just at a higher level. The problem here is that the HIGHER MIND takes a backseat in this. The feedback loop is driven more by the power games of the primitive mind. Is there some way to raise the game away from the primitive and into the light?<br />
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<b>Section 2: The Value Games</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitRPC13PSXpW034z5QzGEvb38BhGkzNqAM6bhHIooSFJqDhOgTHNEDjqHIENb9Os8F6S0LD-lOe2dBwNtikdScQ_ElgWiiHurwgMmjtbkWwTVbxGwhUWSa6aedHLT2rimnmfrh3JTHBy-q/s1600/USFeedback.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1577" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitRPC13PSXpW034z5QzGEvb38BhGkzNqAM6bhHIooSFJqDhOgTHNEDjqHIENb9Os8F6S0LD-lOe2dBwNtikdScQ_ElgWiiHurwgMmjtbkWwTVbxGwhUWSa6aedHLT2rimnmfrh3JTHBy-q/s320/USFeedback.png" width="315" /></b></a><a href="https://waitbutwhy.com/2019/09/enlightenment-kids.html" target="_blank"><b>Chapter 4: The Enlightenment Kids</b></a> - The US Declaration of Independence and Constitution were two things: a Power Game to prevent taxation without representation and a framework establishing an intellectual framework for our system of governance. This was driven by the enlightenment in Europe, which created a new story that "<i>talked about ideas like human rights and equality and tolerance and freedom. According to this new story, humans had made incredible advancements in knowledge, wisdom, and technology—but they were still doing government like it was 7,000 BC.</i>" A unique characteristic of the constitution is that instead of being created to lead to an end state, it laid out rules about the means of governance, with only very general principles about the ends. It creates a feedback loop between the rules, the government, and the citizens.<br />
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In the power games, you start with complete individual freedom, then you get or keep what you can through power or force. The US turned that on its head and said you can swing your arms unless you hit someone else's nose. This established a line between freedom and safety. However, oftentimes, rights were in conflict, so we needed a concept of fairness--both of process and, to some extent, outcome. Why only to some extent? Well, most in the US believe in some form of a meritocracy where people earn what they deserve and work for--we don't want communism with a forced complete redistribution by a distributed government, nor do we want a dictator to take from us. Communism removes incentives and markets; dictatorship removes fairness and markets. Ultimately, this creates a fairly narrow window in which our government exists. It must have the right amount of fairness while still respecting the boundaries of individual rights and freedoms.<br />
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This fairness framework that has been in place for over 200 years in the US has lifted the lot of the average person, prevented, the worst outcomes for most and by converting the push of power games into the pull of markets, and unleashed colossal innovation.<br />
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<a href="https://waitbutwhy.com/2019/09/mute-button.html" target="_blank"><b>Chapter 5: The Mute Button</b></a> - Is about censorship. We all have our innermost thoughts and feelings as well as what we express to the outside world. In a world with ACTUAL free speech with no consequences, the outside and inside would match. In a power games world, there is someone with power and authority preventing that speech from happening. There will always be societal norms and gaps between what a person thinks and shows. It's when the external speech is altered BECAUSE of power and control, the very thoughts of people begin to change to reflect that control. "By silencing certain ideas, the mute button prevents the giant from having the wrong thoughts. And when you can control a giant’s thoughts, you can control the giant’s actions." All of this is why the first amendment of the US Constitution says, "Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech." This freedom ends when that speech does harm to others, AND, it does not restrict YOUR control over what others to say in your domain. That is still your business.<br />
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<a href="https://waitbutwhy.com/2019/09/american-brain.html" target="_blank"><b>Chapter 6: The American Brain</b></a> - The marketplace of Ideas or MPI is the bell curve that represents the distribution of thought around a given topic at any time.<br />
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"If you live in a democracy, and you’re not zoomed out far enough, you might look at the politicians running your government and mistake them for your leaders. In the short term, sure, they jostle with each other over the country’s policies and steer the country on the international stage. But with a step back, the real long-term leader of a democracy is the giant communal brain of the citizen body."<br />
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"Mute buttons in any form should raise an alarm in all of our heads, though they sometimes seem to go unnoticed. When all you’ve ever known is freedom, it can be easy to forget just how precious it is."<br />
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"With a mysterious, foggy future ahead, free speech would give the new nation a way to figure things out as it went: a flashlight to help see the truth, a compass that would help point it towards wisdom, and a mirror that would help an orphan child raise itself."<br />
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<b>Part 3: Thinking: in 3D</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdypISNrLLFjAjAxVjM1DvAvDodl5p1wxLVKMKrz8zxSNhE0ND9TdZ6Pf7WM2kDyny4MrejhW_S0OjKx1kyzgxZs05T3vuMJ1h99pO5nFDDnVixgXU6jkCZzTEM30yFXPDWtumkX_gCaL_/s1600/knowledgeConviction.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="877" data-original-width="862" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdypISNrLLFjAjAxVjM1DvAvDodl5p1wxLVKMKrz8zxSNhE0ND9TdZ6Pf7WM2kDyny4MrejhW_S0OjKx1kyzgxZs05T3vuMJ1h99pO5nFDDnVixgXU6jkCZzTEM30yFXPDWtumkX_gCaL_/s200/knowledgeConviction.png" width="196" /></b></a><a href="https://waitbutwhy.com/2019/09/thinking-ladder.html" target="_blank"><b>Chapter 7: The Thinking Ladder</b></a> - Why do we believe what we believe? There's what you believe, but there's also <b>Why we believe</b>. In many ways the why is more important. There is a range of whys, driven by the different systems of the mind. There is careful, well-reasoned thoughts driven by logic, values, and facts. Your logic, value, and facts may lead you to communism or fascism. Most people will fall in between into a fairly narrow band. What is important for conversation is that you applied logic, values, and facts (LVF), and for discussion that you are transparent about those. This is thinking like a scientist: gather info, form hypothesis, test hypothesis. Lather, Rinse, repeat. In the scientist zone, you strive to be on the line, with conviction appropriate to your knowledge.<br />
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The next three rungs on the ladder are the sports fan, lawyer, and zealot. Each rung successively applies less LVF, and takes a position based more and more on the primitive mind. (BTW, no offense to lawyers. When they represent a client, it is literally their job to cherry-pick and represent their client's interests. There is a lot of content on this page, and the infographic at the end to sum it up is great.<br />
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<a href="https://waitbutwhy.com/2019/10/idea-labs-echo-chambers.html" target="_blank"><b>Chapter 8: Idea Labs and Echo Chambers</b></a> - There is a 3rd dimension to the thinking ladder. That is the "Emergence Tower." So now we have the style of thinking (Why), What we think, and now whether it is thinking as part of a tribe, as an individual, or with more of a universal frame.<br />
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This third dimension brings in the concept of culture and cultural incentives. Start with an Idea Lab. Idea Labs are groups of people that provide incentives for members of the "lab" to think like scientists. They like independent thought, intellectual diversity, and try to stay close to the humility line described above--neither over- nor under-confident. People in idea labs may have different views of the world, but they are united by their shared manner of reaching their conclusions. They're all ultimately, "on the same truth-seeking team." Because of free speech, the US has historically been a giant idea lab. This is arguably the source of at least some of the success of the nation.<br />
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Echo chambers, on the other hand, are dark places. If you do not toe the line of what is in the echo chamber you become an outcast, an enemy, one of "them." "Virtue signaling" is an important value. Echo chambers make its members arrogant, more primitive, and intellectually helpless, and it bullies its members into submission.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh33u6aFpYLVU6gLVcUG493aIjpr2kCkjfPcwlHSpzu5DjBHiSwqhIapCtKAV6UOGtUdNEFMR7piX5eoCuXghoWH83q6jkZh5V6G1CD4U4YYheZjLx3cYIKkfzJvjKdTR8ynUvmw7WTq44-/s1600/micromacro.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1545" data-original-width="1600" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh33u6aFpYLVU6gLVcUG493aIjpr2kCkjfPcwlHSpzu5DjBHiSwqhIapCtKAV6UOGtUdNEFMR7piX5eoCuXghoWH83q6jkZh5V6G1CD4U4YYheZjLx3cYIKkfzJvjKdTR8ynUvmw7WTq44-/s200/micromacro.png" width="200" /></a>"The multi-colored brain network in an Idea Lab is a marketplace of ideas that functions as a super-brain—a giant, superintelligent thinking machine. But the Echo Chamber’s network isn’t a giant brain at all. It’s a solid-colored agreement network—a bloc of hijacked brains, tightly glued together by shared beliefs in order to generate brute strength in numbers." Idea lab members have different ideas, they are united by their thought process; echo-chamber members are divided by their ideas, but without a significant thought process behind it.<br />
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<i>[e4e take: One thing that I see happening is the pure exhaustion of Trump's lies, breaking of convention, and probably breaking the law--all in the open--has simply exhausted the higher minds of many people. When your higher mind is exhausted you default to the lower effort lizard brain. I'm not trying to say Trump is guilty of crimes, and at the same time, his constant tweeting and defiance of convention have clearly been extraordinary.]</i><br />
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<b>Part 4: Politics, in 3D</b><br />
<a href="https://waitbutwhy.com/2019/12/political-disney-world.html" target="_blank"><b>Chapter 9: Political Disney World</b></a> - Revisiting the psych spectrum: thinking like a scientist vs thinking like a zealot and everything in between. On the political side though there are two aspects to think about: the thinking side and the motivational or values side.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtri4pQC4EQM4uwouaPd2G87cZV4rIFKfN2un-WjJq57SIgziHgitkjgyj8SHJz7xMb82G4M4BwHA0dButYGzZkp7b3nhIoOEUVv70JX4BL5alJDkbRjCLp_iUvmMi8lPwq-YOsYCGgoJm/s1600/politicalLadder.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1329" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtri4pQC4EQM4uwouaPd2G87cZV4rIFKfN2un-WjJq57SIgziHgitkjgyj8SHJz7xMb82G4M4BwHA0dButYGzZkp7b3nhIoOEUVv70JX4BL5alJDkbRjCLp_iUvmMi8lPwq-YOsYCGgoJm/s320/politicalLadder.png" width="320" /></a>The thinking side is similar to the psych spectrum. It's the difference between seeking truth vs seeking confirmation of your beliefs. The political activism side is fundamentally different. It relates to the goals of politics. On the high-minded side is seeking a "more perfect union." On the primitive side is political triumph. Tim's thinking though is that there is a high correlation between the two ladders, so they can be collapsed into one.<br />
<br />
He says that politics is, by its nature, a bottom-heavy topic. Like religion, it starts with belief, then people look for confirmation of those beliefs. There are people on the higher rungs, but the ratio is bad and much more heavily weighted to the lower ones.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaFQuummY4j226J6PZV6wzvPpPkhilo9ybBDhV6GFeJS4VRNpE2wLUVBXuGRInEBDNs-i6wg0DnwXETYXKldQll_LzJAQooSgeP3NFlAbBQGA4Ym1BVVRiPQZDbAlQA9KVxlJcasD2nMvi/s1600/hierarchydisagreement.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="750" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaFQuummY4j226J6PZV6wzvPpPkhilo9ybBDhV6GFeJS4VRNpE2wLUVBXuGRInEBDNs-i6wg0DnwXETYXKldQll_LzJAQooSgeP3NFlAbBQGA4Ym1BVVRiPQZDbAlQA9KVxlJcasD2nMvi/s320/hierarchydisagreement.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Perhaps the most important concept in this series so far is to separate how we think from what we think. The political spectrum is a good way to do this.<br />
<br />
Let's consider global warming beliefs. In terms of what you believe and how a person might get there.<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Anthropogenic global warming is a scientifically proven fact, it is catastrophic and will spell the extinction of humans unless we immediately cease and desist all emissions of carbon that are unnecessary including cow farts.</li>
<ol>
<li>High Rung Thinking - There is a tremendous amount of peer-reviewed science that has studied this. Even many skeptical scientists have come to this side after examining the data. There are computer models, which while imperfect, point to possible devastating climate paths. Given what is at stake, we should do everything possible to mitigate the worst effects of CO2 emissions.</li>
<li>Low Rung Thinking - 97%! The deniers are trying to kill us. It's all about profits for oil companies! Vote blue to save the planet. AOC and Greta say it's right. And by the way, no to nuclear either.</li>
</ol>
<li>The planet is not actually warming. There is no need to take any measures at all, much less the restrictive ones being proposed by so many. </li>
<ol>
<li>High Rung Thinking - The published temperature data say it is, but that is after corrections much larger than the actual effect being measured. Burning fossil fuels has had numerous very positive impacts on the planet and on human beings. If the trace element in our atmosphere of CO2 is actually damaging, it has to be measured against benefits including increased agricultural productivity. </li>
<li>Low Rung Thinking - Global warming is a total hoax, pushed by the Chinese. Not only is CO2 good for the environment, we should be pushing to generate more, because plant food. The president says so.</li>
</ol>
</ol>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiui5ljkWakuvLeUAfh96fkyuzZ1vNeWYfLDYojB9Np3fWA2-2y-Bf83Aq3MdvFdJ1O09T3D1KK_lZokb_TxtQGcu-kqcXqoRWwgFx1446fluaIj4YGBdGcsrYjIldMdQeVtg1km7-vJoqH/s1600/31.1-agreement-decency-v2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1124" data-original-width="1600" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiui5ljkWakuvLeUAfh96fkyuzZ1vNeWYfLDYojB9Np3fWA2-2y-Bf83Aq3MdvFdJ1O09T3D1KK_lZokb_TxtQGcu-kqcXqoRWwgFx1446fluaIj4YGBdGcsrYjIldMdQeVtg1km7-vJoqH/s320/31.1-agreement-decency-v2.png" width="320" /></a>These are my caricatures of the arguments and meant as examples, not real arguments. They're meant to illustrate how people can have either very different conclusions, but arrived at through similar thought processes or similar conclusions arrived at through different thought processes.<br />
<br />
This post has so much more content than I will attempt to summarize, including how the removal of free speech and threats against people with dissenting opinions can alter or remove high-level discourse and some of the biases and tactics that occur in the discourse, so please go to the blog and check it out. I'll leave you with one more graphic that illustrates how idea-lab vs echo chamber culture influences our perception of other people.<br />
<br />
Oh and one more thing. The tile of this one, "Political Disney World," refers to how in Disney movies and tales, the good guy/girl is all sweetness. light, and sunshine, while the bad guy/girl is evil and dark. It's about the extreme polarization and characterization of people who do not share the same beliefs.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://waitbutwhy.com/2019/12/political-disney-world.html" target="_blank">And there's so much more. Just read it. There are lots of pictures!</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Part 5: A Dangerous Trend</b><br />
<a href="https://waitbutwhy.com/2020/01/sick-giant.html" target="_blank"><b>Chapter 10: A Sick Giant</b></a> - The first nine chapters were about creating a lens through which to view arguments and peoples' motivations. Now we are getting to the meat. Seeing in 2D is about the internal tug of war between our thinking and logical side and the primitive lizard brain. The third dimension comes in when we extrapolate that from a single person to the different levels of society. The same tug of war inside each of us scales up to society levels.<br />
<br />
This tug of war at a societal level goes through cycles, and right now, the US and the rest of the world is in a down cycle. Polarization is rampant, but not because of principle, but rather the left and right lizard brains are at war.<br />
<br />
There are a couple likely drivers: 1. Geographic bubbles or echo chambers form due to the mobility of people today, and 2. Information bubbles driven by biased and dishonest media. Not just dishonest about the things they say, but dishonest about their position and objectivity. They have new tools and outlets that have never existed, and this further drives wedges.<br />
<br />
It turns out though that people in this nation are fairly well aligned on values--what should be. We're much less well-aligned on what IS--our current state. This is driven by the selection bias of what news is shown (no news is good news or good news is not news). The news sources then feed what the author calls political bigotry. It is basically a disgust response to THEM. The others, who used to be wrong, stupid people are now evil, disgusting monsters.<br />
<br />
These trends merge into four things that concern Tim greatly.<br />
1. We're losing or ability to gain knowledge<br />
2. We're losing our ability to think together.<br />
3. We're losing our ability to cooperate<br />
4. We're doing that thing that people do before really, really awful things happen.<br />
<br />
Given all that, it appears that we are devolving further into the <a href="https://waitbutwhy.com/2019/08/fire-light.html" target="_blank">Power Games</a>, and away from the <a href="https://waitbutwhy.com/2019/09/enlightenment-kids.html" target="_blank">Value Games</a>.<br />
<br />
At the risk of engaging in bothsidesism, he recognizes that the bad behavior becomes a vicious circle. He has spent the last three years trying to figure out what it will take to trigger the national immune system and raise the level of discourse, to pull the nation out of the spiral.<br />
<br />
He sees hope in the great center, where views and values are actually pretty similar, but polarization is high because of the level and nature of the discourse.<br />
<br />
"When the Value Games are working properly, people holding the most extreme views are relegated to the fringes—retaining enough of a voice to effect change when they’re right about something but unable to do too much damage when, more often, they’re wrong. But in the Power Games, it’s often the case that small groups of more extreme people end up with outsized power over others.<br />
<br />
"Maybe instead of focusing on how politically active the most extreme people are, we should be asking ourselves why those who hold “more complex views” have become so inactive."<br />
<br />
That will be the topic of Chapter 11.<br />
<br />
Chapter 11:<br />
<br />
<br />
Chapter 12:<br />
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<br />Tony Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688318289784215712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194600066391868656.post-64513375005173851612019-03-13T10:26:00.000-07:002019-03-13T10:57:17.177-07:00Voting SystemsRanked Choice (RC) vs Instant Runoff (IRV) vs Approval<br />
<br />
RC and IRV are technically different. RC is a way of expressing preference, IRV is a method of tabulating votes from RC ballots.<br />
<br />
This is an important distinction.<br />
<br />
IRV, which seems pretty good can solve one problem (e.g. Gore v Bush) but introduce others. Technically IRV is nonmonotonic. That is, a shift of public opinion toward a candidate can cause that candidate to lose, and a shift of public opinion away from a candidate can cause that candidate to win.<br />
<br />
A different and probably superior method is one called Condorcet. It eliminates most of the IRV issues but introduces a few other, but less likely, issues. IRV is to Condorcet as single elimination is to round robin.<br />
<br />
Superior to both of them is Approval voting, in which you select all candidates that would be acceptable to you. It’s simple to tabulate and does not have the issues of either IRV or Condorcet.<br />
<br />
There’s a <a href="http://zesty.ca/voting/sim/" target="_blank">website that has wonderful graphics of how these different systems can work or not </a>depending on the positions of the candidates. http://zesty.ca/voting/sim/<br />
<br />
The author of the site is Ka-Ping Yee.<br />
<br />
Our election method makes it virtually impossible for third parties to gain a significant foothold. The electoral system is an added complication for presidential races, but the same holds true for state and local races as well as primaries with crowded fields.Tony Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688318289784215712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194600066391868656.post-20061122751437497922019-01-25T16:57:00.003-08:002021-02-03T09:32:11.395-08:00CPAP Machines and Taking Control of Your HealthIn 2010, <a href="https://www.emotionsforengineers.com/2010/06/snoring-sleep-apnea-and-happy-fathers.html">I wrote about CPAP machines and sleep apnea</a>.<br />
<br />
I wanted to update things, much has happened since then.<br />
<br />
First, I got a new machine in 2013 immediately before a move to Houston from Oakland. The former machine was pretty old, and it was time for an update. I got my sleep test, found a mask that I really liked, and changed from CPAP to APAP.<br />
<br />
CPAP is Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, APAP is Automatic Positive Airway Pressure. With CPAP, the pressure is set at a constant level and stays there until the machine is shut off. APAP, on the other hand, has a range of pressures over which it operates and increases the pressure the minimum amount required to prevent apnea. The advantage of APAP for users is that it is more comfortable to sleep without continual max pressure, which allows for higher pressure on demand.<br />
<br />
The doctor prescribed an APAP and set the pressure range from 5 - 15 psi. The sleep test showed that 15 psi would be adequate for me. I received the machine only a few days before we left to drive to Houston.<br />
<br />
<b>The New Machine Isn't Working</b><br />
I tried the machine the first night and it worked fine. But the second night.was horrible! Every time just as I was going to sleep, my airway closed, and it woke me up. Once that happens a few times, I can't even try to sleep again. I called the sleep doc the next day who looked at the data from the machine. His response was that it all looked fine. (apparently, as long as you have fewer than 5 apneas per hour, it is considered successful). When I pointed out that I only slept for one hour or something, he kind of shrugged.<br />
<br />
He was kind enough to write me a prescription for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modafinil">Provigil</a> in hopes that I didn't die on the trip to Houston.<br />
<br />
The first night we stopped in Reno. We had gotten a late start and Reno worked for us. My machine worked a little better and we set out for Salt Lake City. Between Provigil and taking cat naps in the car, I was pretty alert and the day went well.<br />
<br />
<b>The Crisis</b><br />
We arrive at the hotel, and I started to look for my APAP mask. Well, it was white, and the only thing we could figure is that I had left it on the sheets in the Reno hotel. Now the fun began. I started making calls and searching the net looking for help with someone who could provide the mask (we were not driving back to Reno).<br />
<br />
Finally, I found someone, they sold me one. All good.<br />
<br />
<b>The Insights</b><br />
But, in the process of looking for the mask, I ended up talking to a number of pretty knowledgeable APAP machine techs. I got a really important insight from one of them. If the low pressure is set too low, sometimes the machine can't ramp up the pressure fast enough to open the block. That fit perfectly with what was happening on the night I didn't sleep. I asked how I could adjust the pressure and he couldn't give me that information because it was only for doctors and techs to set that. I believe he told me that it was illegal for patients to program their own machines.<br />
<br />
<b>The Challenge Successfully Accomplished</b><br />
I took that as a challenge. If that tech manual existed on the internet I was going to find it. I started digging and exercising my considerable google-fu skills. I finally came across a website called <a href="https://www.apneaboard.com/" target="_blank">The Apnea Board</a>.<br />
<br />
They have a list of manuals and even a <a href="https://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap-pressure/change-cpap-pressure-settings-adjusting-your-machine-with-a-clinician-setup-manual" target="_blank">page with instructions on how to get into the clinician settings </a>for a number of popular machines.<br />
<br />
There's also a link to download software that can read your sleep records from your machine. I use Sleepyhead software. <a href="http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-SleepyHead-Software-Download-Link-for-Philips-Respironics-ResMed-DeVilbiss-F-P" target="_blank">Here's a link</a> that may work only of you register with the Apnea Board.<br />
<br />
So using the software on my mac and tracking my results, here is how I have progressed.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgApCgC8CjK7qLfieUy4uPEORpHNX_hFK59i8F80do2H9i31C_yAJQOfOFEN2DgsflA20ukOZePNmORBV-qJqBp6lNrFFMYjlHh8z7s2sQD83UZs28tjQqTI1onSCH0ZDbtTYhpaweDcApI/s1600/SleepyHead.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="369" data-original-width="1600" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgApCgC8CjK7qLfieUy4uPEORpHNX_hFK59i8F80do2H9i31C_yAJQOfOFEN2DgsflA20ukOZePNmORBV-qJqBp6lNrFFMYjlHh8z7s2sQD83UZs28tjQqTI1onSCH0ZDbtTYhpaweDcApI/s640/SleepyHead.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">You can see the progression from the original 5-15 psi setting on the bottom. My Apnea-Hypopnea Index was up there around 2-5 originally. When I started my own therapy, it immediately went to 1.47, and it has improved since. AHI is how many apneas or hypopneas you have every hour. My current rate of 0.42 means that I have one event every 3 hours or so. Remember, my doctor thought my initial settings were fine. I'm killin' it.</div><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The FL column is flow limitation and my new machine does not measure that metric, so the zero is not meaningful.<br />
<br />
<b>Recent Changes</b><br /><br /><div>
The machine I had at the start was getting old and you can get a new one every 5 years on insurance. I wanted to have a spare because I really rely on the machine and a week or longer without it would be bad.<br />
<br />
I initially tried the same brand as I had, but an updated model. I previously used a Phillips Respironics System 1Remstar Auto with A-Flex. I tested a Philips Respironics DreamStation for one night, which worked really well. It is the brightest green one on the above chart. It had a problem though. It was extremely noisy.(1) I took it back and got the Resmed Airsense 10 Autoset and have been very happy with it.<br />
<br />
<b>The E4E Take on This</b><br /><ol><li>My doctor did not understand APAP technology well. He went by the book and as long as the metric was ok, he was happy. It wasn't good enough for me.</li>
<li>Don't believe BS from people who don't know what they're talking about. Just because someone says it's illegal for you to program your own CPAP machine, doesn't make it true. It sounds thin and it is. Ok. I actually don't know, but I was willing to risk a little civil disobedience, and frankly, I don't care about the law, it's my health. Maybe it is illegal for a tech to provide instructions?</li>
<li>The electronic world has opened a tremendous set of resources for self-care. If you are a quick learner, and especially if you are willing to apply a little engineering thought and self-experimentation, in some cases you can far outdo medical professionals. In my case, I suspect the doctor was not up to date on the newer APAP technology, and perhaps was not willing to take the time to fine-tune my results beyond the minimum acceptable.</li></ol>
<br />
(1) I took the Respironics Dreamstation back to the store and worked a little with the tech, who was not happy with me. When I hooked up the machine and tried to show her how much noise it was making, she was not at all impressed. Nor was I. It had been MUCH louder previously. It turns out the machine has a water reservoir on it if you want to use the humidifier feature. But if you don't, you can take it off. It makes the machine more compact, and that is how I had used my previous machine. Unfortunately, it turns out that the reservoir provides sound buffering, even more so when there's water in it. So once I took off the reservoir container, it was loud again. She switched me to the other machine.<br /></div>Tony Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688318289784215712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194600066391868656.post-40979175259501319432018-12-20T21:21:00.000-08:002018-12-22T11:20:04.715-08:00Wikipedia's Standards are Off the Rails<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Recently, some advocates of low carb and healthy lifestyles have been deleted from Wikipedia. This seems to be driven by an editor called Skeptic from Britain.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #222222;">The reason given is that their views represent fringe views outside of the mainstream. In my opinion, this is arbitrary and an improper reason. If the people in question were nobodys, (like me), that would be fine. But </span><span style="color: #222222;">they're not. They are respected authors, scientists, doctors and filmmakers with an alternative point of view.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #222222;">Deleted pages include Malcolm Kendrick, Tom Naughton, Jimmy Moore, and Uffe Ravnskov. I suppose it's only a matter of time before Taubes, Atkins, and Lustig get deleted too.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Point of view should not be a consideration for deletion, but rather their accomplishments. After all, even the Unabomber has a page. He has an unconventional point of view. Should he be removed? of course not.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">If you are interested in writing to the donations department this is the email. </span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;"><a href="mailto:donate@wikimedia.org" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" target="_blank">donate@wikimedia.org</a></i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.fathead-movie.com/index.php/2018/12/21/follow-up-on-the-weenie-wiki-editor/" target="_blank">Update from Tom Naughton</a> of Fathead, ehich was also proposed for deletion.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">"</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;">I've been tweeting about this whole issue for a couple of days, which drew the attention of Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia. His first several replies were long explanations of Wikipedia policies, the apparent message being that nothing was wrong, no violations of policy, no biases in tagging for deletion, move along, folks, nothing here to see. That ticked me off, because the editor’s bias could hardly be more obvious. That’s why in my previous post, I said Wales was making a fool of himself on Twitter defending this nonsense.</span></span><br />
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 1.71429rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I need to take back the insult now, apologize to Wales, and give credit where credit is due. "In a couple of Twitter exchanges, I pointed that <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Fat Head</em> was targeted for deletion right after I wrote about Kendrick. I asked if he truly believed this editor was making objective decisions, which seemed highly unlikely.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 1.71429rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"He replied that he didn’t know what <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Fat Head</em> is and was unaware of it being targeted for deletion. He then sent me a private message asking for more information. I sent links demonstrating who the editor had targeted, how he’d changed his handle twice in a matter of days while continuing the targeting, etc.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 1.71429rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Wales responded that such behavior was against policy and could lead to an editor being banned. He said he’d look into the matter."</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, Verdana; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 1.71429rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Here's hsi response:</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, Verdana; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 1.71429rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
"<span style="font-style: italic;">Strong keep – As others have noted, WP:IDONTLIKEIT is not a valid reason for deletion. It is worth noting that the proposer is </span><strong style="border: 0px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">a serial name changer and POV pusher</strong><span style="font-style: italic;"> who has now apparently left the project. A quick research of the film reveals that in addition to the sources that User:Strikerforce rightly says are enough to ‘barely’ pass notability, I found an article at Motley Fool and this one at Vulture. It is not a major film to be sure, but </span><strong style="border: 0px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">there seems to be no reason for deletion other than the POV pushing of the proposer."</strong></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Articles_for_deletion/Malcolm_Kendrick" target="_blank">Here is the full conversation in Wikipedia Kendrick Deletion page.</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I wrote the following letter to Wikimedia.org.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span> <i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #222222;">In the last few weeks, many advocates of </span><span class="gmail-il" style="color: #222222;">low</span><span style="color: #222222;"> </span><span class="gmail-il" style="color: #222222;">carb</span><span style="color: #222222;"> diets and healthy lifestyles have been removed from Wikipedia including Dr. Malcolm Kendrick, Uffe Ravsnkov, and now Tom Naughton. They are published and notable authors, scientists, doctors, and filmmakers with a non-mainstream PoV. The editor cites their non-mainstream views as the reason for removal. This is unethical and contrary to Wiki’s mission.</span></span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The editor who proposed their deletion Skeptic from Britain cited their non-mainstream points of view as the reason for their deletion. Based on that standard, you should also delete <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Kaczynski" style="color: #1155cc;">Ted Kaczynski</a>. You have a responsibility to have reasonable, consistent standards.</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The standard for inclusion should be related to their notoriety and impact, not their specific points of view. I am very disappointed in this recent turn, and in my opinion, it is contrary to the public's and Wikipedia's best interests.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I recently donated $6 to Wikimedia and I would like a refund of that money. I will not financially support any organization that suppresses points of view that are contrary to the mainstream.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Should I simply protest this donation through my credit card, or is there a better way for me to receive a refund? Please advise.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Regards,</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">I'm pretty hacked off about this.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">Edit: The following is the response I received from an unpaid volunteer of Wikipedia. I am still going to withdraw my contribution until Wikipedia cleans up their standards about biog. If you want to do the same, this is the email. </span><i style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;"><a href="mailto:donate@wikimedia.org" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" target="_blank">donate@wikimedia.org</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;"><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Regardless of his medical credentials, Dr Kendrick - along with the readers of his blog - exhibits a fundamental inability or unwillingness to understand how Wikipedia works. Articles on Wikipedia are deleted according to our Deletion Policy: <</span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Deletion_policy&source=gmail&ust=1545508400482000&usg=AFQjCNGYW95TFW8Yh98grpDdJ_NHKQB04Q" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Deletion_policy" rel="noreferrer" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki<wbr></wbr>/Wikipedia:Deletion_policy</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">>. "Big Pharma" do not have any say in the matter, despite Dr Kendrick's consipiracy theories.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"The article in question was deleted after a debate at <</span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Articles_for_deletion/Malcolm_Kendrick&source=gmail&ust=1545508400482000&usg=AFQjCNFXuamqNskgQbfzSBUlB6GOsqSEDA" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Articles_for_deletion/Malcolm_Kendrick" rel="noreferrer" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki<wbr></wbr>/Wikipedia:Articles_for_deleti<wbr></wbr>on/Malcolm_Kendrick</a></i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>>, because members of the community established that it was unsuitable for inclusion due to a lack of verifiable information from independent sources. If such sources are not provided during the deletion discussion - which they were not - then this indicates that the topic is not currently notable enough for a Wikipedia article. Dr Kendrick's theories and their validity had literally no bearing on the matter.</i></span><i><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"If you believe after reading the deletion policy that the article was unfairly deleted, you can ask the administrator who deleted the article for a fuller explanation. If after an explanation you still believe the deletion was unfair, you can bring up the article at Deletion Review (</span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Deletion_review&source=gmail&ust=1545508400482000&usg=AFQjCNH7aiVtEcOm67LHiqKh4Sh-pV3_6w" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Deletion_review" rel="noreferrer" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki<wbr></wbr>/Wikipedia:Deletion_review</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">) where the community can take another look to see if the article was deleted in error.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"With regard to your donation, this channel is entirely staffed and managed by volunteers, and we have no involvement in the donation program. You will need to contact the Wikimedia Foundation directly to request a refund; the donations dapartment can be contacted at </span><a href="mailto:donate@wikimedia.org" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" target="_blank">donate@wikimedia.org</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> .</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Yours sincerely,</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">...</span></i><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><i><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">-- </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Wikipedia - </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://en.wikipedia.org/&source=gmail&ust=1545508400482000&usg=AFQjCNEuRul-ZCG3qQYWHmID6mo4txnnHQ" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/" rel="noreferrer" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/</a><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">---</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Disclaimer: all mail to this address is answered by volunteers, and responses are not to be considered an official statement of the Wikimedia Foundation. For official correspondence, please contact the Wikimedia Foundation by certified mail at the address listed on </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wikimediafoundation.org/&source=gmail&ust=1545508400482000&usg=AFQjCNHBQzvzh8cnURvK6R_BeqeyOKxBvA" href="https://www.wikimediafoundation.org/" rel="noreferrer" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" target="_blank">https://www.wikimediafoundatio<wbr></wbr>n.org/</a><span class="im" style="background-color: white; color: #500050; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">E4E take:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">In my opinion, he is worth every cent they pay him. I found his response snarky and insulting. The discussion page regarding Kendrick's deletion is full of ad hominem statements and attacks on the people who were defending Dr. Kendrick. They attacked his science, but then said that the science isn't the issue, it's the lack of notoriety of Kendrick. There is some discussion of the lack of "verifiable information from independent sources" as mentioned by the volunteer. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">I simply do not have the time or energy to dig in and understand all of the wikipedia rules and regulations about biographical entries. Apparently, for inclusion, there must be significant external reporting on the person in question. This seems like an odd standard for someone carrying the standard of a non-mainstream view, but those are the rules.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">Here are some references to the jihad against the low carb community.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;"><a href="http://foodmed.net/2018/12/kendrick-wikipedia-dark-forces-war-on-science/" target="_blank">Marika Sboros</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">Malcolm Kendrick <a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2018/12/03/dr-malcolm-kendrick-deletion-from-wikipedia/" target="_blank">1</a> and <a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2018/12/18/wikipedia-a-parable-for-our-times/" target="_blank">2 (it's not about him, but about a war on scientific inquiry)</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;"><a href="https://theskepticalcardiologist.com/2018/12/04/who-deserves-to-be-a-wikipedia-article-the-deletion-of-dr-malcolm-kendrick/" target="_blank">The Skeptical Cardiologist</a> (disagrees with Kendrick scientifically, but thinks deletion is wrong)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;"><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/ketoscience/comments/a66i98/bye_bye_dr_malcolm_kendrick_at_least_from/" target="_blank">Reddit </a>thread</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;"><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/ketoscience/wiki/malcolmkendrick" target="_blank">Reddit page </a>on Kendrick</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;"><b>A Couple of Posts that I think are pretty well-stated:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="background-color: #f3f9ff; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">"Secondary sources, as you describe, should be unnecessary unless the subject (of the biographical page entry)'s existence has been seriously challenged by a reader. My interest is in keeping Wikipedia as a usable reference source for most web users. A subject of a biographical page is notable, by such a definition, each time a visitor to Wikipedia types in the subject's name, which the visitor almost certainly got from somewhere else i.e. from a secondary source. The great benefit of a comprehensive compendium of knowledge of all kinds, from the very trivial to the most profound, is its inclusiveness. A serendipitous wander wherever my interest takes me is another of the great pleasures of the site. These things are what I pay for when I contribute to Wikipedia's various appeals and they will be lost if too many gatekeepers try to keep material off it. Editors should concentrate on keeping pages as accurate as possible, on distinguishing clearly between orthodox and heterodox viewpoints, and on keeping the tone of the page polite, not on deleting serious entries about real people.</span><a class="new" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Shirley49&action=edit&redlink=1" style="background: none rgb(243, 249, 255); color: #a55858; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-line: none;" title="User:Shirley49 (page does not exist)">Shirley49</a><span style="background-color: #f3f9ff; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> (</span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Shirley49" style="background: none rgb(243, 249, 255); color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-line: none;" title="User talk:Shirley49">talk</a><span style="background-color: #f3f9ff; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">) 22:45, 5 December 2018 (UTC) </span><small style="background-color: #f3f9ff; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 11.9px;">— <a class="new" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Shirley49&action=edit&redlink=1" style="background: none; color: #a55858; text-decoration-line: none;" title="User:Shirley49 (page does not exist)">Shirley49</a> (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Shirley49" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration-line: none;" title="User talk:Shirley49">talk</a> • <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/Shirley49" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Special:Contributions/Shirley49">contribs</a>) has made <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Single-purpose_account" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Wikipedia:Single-purpose account">few or no other edits</a> outside this topic."</small></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;"><small style="background-color: #f3f9ff; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 11.9px;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></small></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;"><small style="background-color: #f3f9ff; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 11.9px;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">"We are now talking at cross-purposes. My point is that the way some Wikipedia editors now work is destroying the web-site for the general reader. The rules for posts have become so legalistic that they are almost impenetrable. The basic rule should be simple. If someone posts something which can be factually disputed, the person who wishes to do this should do so and the matter can then be debated online. If an agreed consensus can be reached, that should stand. If not, the view, which is judged to be the mainstream or majority view, should stand, but at the base of the page should be a link to a separate page where the minority view or views can find expression. This is a common procedure elsewhere, like in the civil courts, where dissenting judgements are routine. If this were to occur, Wikipedia could then be freed of the charge of censorship of unpopular views or of ideas which challenge the rich and influential. Secondary sources can look impressive, but how much is: "You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours"? I feel the main problem with science today is, that with a few notable exceptions, the mainstream scientist lacks the ability to interest and educate the lay-person. If Wikipedia has no wish for the small amounts of money I sometimes send it, I can spend it on something else.</span><a class="new" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Shirley49&action=edit&redlink=1" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #a55858; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-line: none;" title="User:Shirley49 (page does not exist)">Shirley49</a><span style="font-size: 14px;">(</span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Shirley49" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-line: none;" title="User talk:Shirley49">talk</a><span style="font-size: 14px;">) 02:33, 6 December 2018 (UTC)"</span></small></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;"><b>Bottom Line of Wikipedia</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;"><span style="background-color: #f3f9ff; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Yes, WP sides with the mainstream, it's by intent and by design, see for example </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_is_a_mainstream_encyclopedia" style="background: none rgb(243, 249, 255); color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Wikipedia:Wikipedia is a mainstream encyclopedia">here</a><span style="background-color: #f3f9ff; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> and </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Lunatic_charlatans" style="background: none rgb(243, 249, 255); color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Wikipedia:Lunatic charlatans">here</a><span style="background-color: #f3f9ff; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">. It's part of our structure, what we are </span><i style="background-color: #f3f9ff; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">for</i><span style="background-color: #f3f9ff; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">. But the internet is vast, so there are plenty of other places to write. What can make an article accepted </span><i style="background-color: #f3f9ff; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">here</i><span style="background-color: #f3f9ff; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">, is sources (</span><a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:RS" style="background: none rgb(243, 249, 255); color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Wikipedia:RS">WP:RS</a><span style="background-color: #f3f9ff; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">) as described at for example </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:NACADEMIC" style="background: none rgb(243, 249, 255); color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Wikipedia:NACADEMIC">WP:NACADEMIC</a><span style="background-color: #f3f9ff; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> or </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:AUTHOR" style="background: none rgb(243, 249, 255); color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Wikipedia:AUTHOR">WP:AUTHOR</a><span style="background-color: #f3f9ff; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">. </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Gr%C3%A5bergs_Gr%C3%A5a_S%C3%A5ng" style="background: none rgb(243, 249, 255); color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-line: none;" title="User:Gråbergs Gråa Sång">Gråbergs Gråa Sång</a><span style="background-color: #f3f9ff; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> (</span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Gr%C3%A5bergs_Gr%C3%A5a_S%C3%A5ng" style="background: none rgb(243, 249, 255); color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-line: none;" title="User talk:Gråbergs Gråa Sång">talk</a><span style="background-color: #f3f9ff; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">) 19:22, 6 December 2018 (UTC)</span></span></div>
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Tony Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688318289784215712noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194600066391868656.post-39164698615080215752018-12-19T12:06:00.004-08:002018-12-19T12:07:23.930-08:00Cholesterol and Triglyceride Unit ConverterI get confused going between readings in mmol/liter and mg per deciliter.<br />
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<a href="https://spacedoc.com/articles/lipid-converters" target="_blank">This page has a conversion calculator for cholesterol and triglyceride particles.</a><br />
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<br />Tony Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688318289784215712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194600066391868656.post-44369975608609049562018-01-23T20:29:00.037-08:002024-01-10T09:27:18.725-08:00Dr. Malcolm Kendrick's Series on What Causes Heart DiseaseMalcolm Kendrick is a very smart guy.<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Dr. Kendrick graduated from medical school in Aberdeen and trained as a General Practitioner in Scotland. After ten years he split his time between General Practice and education. On the doctor side, Malcolm currently lives and works in Cheshire in General Practice, Intermediate Care, and Out of Hours. On the education side, Malcolm set up the online educational system for the European Society of Cardiology, working with the European Commission, and also set up the first website for the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) in the UK.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Malcolm is an original member of the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine in Oxford and of The International Network of Cholesterol Sceptics (THINCS). The latter comprises a group of scientists, doctors, and researchers who <span style="background-color: #ead1dc;">share the belief that cholesterol does not cause cardiovascular disease. </span>This is the field of medicine for which Malcolm is best known.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">"His long-term interest in the epidemiology of cardiovascular disease has resulted in many publications in journals such as the BMJ, Medical Hypotheses, Pulse, and PharmacoEconomics. His breadth and depth of expertise in this area led to his election to Who’s Who in 2009.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">"The Great Cholesterol Con was the book that firmly placed Malcolm on the world stage of the ‘diet-cholesterol-heart’ hypothesis and his army of followers are eagerly awaiting his next bout of wit and wisdom. Malcolm blogs at drmalcolmkendrick.org and lectures by invitation. Married with two children and two cats, Malcolm would like more people to challenge the status quo, and never just accept the party line. He likes to ski, golf, sail."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">He is a practicing doctor in Scotland and an author.</span><br />
<a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">His website home</span></a><br />
<a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/about/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">His about page</span></a><br />
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_Kendrick" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Wikipedia article</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=as_li_ss_tl?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=malcolm+kendrick&linkCode=ll2&tag=emotforengi-20&linkId=3bacb80d05e5609a20d366783bf5dc39" target="_blank">His books on Amazon</a></span><div><a href="https://journals.lww.com/co-endocrinology/Fulltext/2022/10000/Assessing_cardiovascular_disease__looking_beyond.4.aspx" target="_blank">A paper written in 2022</a><br />
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<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Great-Cholesterol-Really-Causes-Disease/dp/1844546101/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1516518473&sr=8-2&keywords=malcolm+kendrick&linkCode=ll1&tag=emotforengi-20&linkId=739526cf3601482cf59c6d43095b3dbf" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Great Cholesterol Con</span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Doctoring-Data-medical-advice-nonsense/dp/1907797467/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1516518473&sr=8-1&keywords=malcolm+kendrick&linkCode=ll1&tag=emotforengi-20&linkId=0d32ae83f05af1ef2c68fcf550003f3b" target="_blank">Doctoring Data: How to sort out medical advice from medical nonsense</a></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">From the book titles, you can see that he is not a mainstream go-with-the-flow kind of guy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Please look at his writings, you will see a no-nonsense follow-the-data approach. It's good reading.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">He started a series called What Causes Heat Disease in January 2016. As of January 21, 2018, he is on installment number 44. It is not simple to find all of the links to each of the posts in sequence, so I have made it a project to do that. [Now up to 61 on Jan 16, 2019]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">It is provocative, super-interesting, and need I say it is also quite different from what your cardiologist will tell you. I got up to 10, then decided to catalog this. I'm going to reread from the start and put a little about the content of each as I progress.</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2016/01/18/what-causes-heart-disease/" target="_blank">What Causes Heart Disease</a> I, 01/18/2016, Introduction. Everything causes heart disease; nothing causes heart disease. What is heart disease (Cardiovascular disease or CVD)? CVD is caused by a process, not a thing. "My simple credo is that, if your hypothesis cannot explain everything about CVD you cannot explain anything."</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2016/01/21/what-causes-heart-disease-part-ii/" target="_blank">What Causes Heart Disease II</a>, 01/21/2016, Framing the problem. Start with "What kills people?" There are many complications and variations. The "reverse hypothesis," i.e. the primary cause of a heart attack is simply a blood clot blocking a coronary artery, has two contradictions. An infarction does not mean that a clot develops, and collateral circulation develops. Ischemic stroke and MI have the same underlying disease process. It is very complex.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2016/01/25/what-causes-heart-disease-part-iii/" target="_blank">What Causes Heart Disease III</a>, 01/25/2016, Data from different countries used different standards so is unreliable. Starting at the end--the formation of the final, often fatal, blood clot. Surprisingly, he adds statins to the list of things that reduce the risk of blood clots (although not by much). But not because of their impact on cholesterol, but rather because of anti-coagulant effects--like aspirin. He hints at another effect statins have. Now the controversy--the two steps to CVD are considered to be 1. formation of an atherosclerotic plaque, and 2. clot formation on top of the plaque. But it's strange that the two processes share many risk factors. Perhaps they "are simply two different manifestations of exactly the same underlying disease process." Occam's razor.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2016/02/08/what-causes-heart-disease-part-iv/" target="_blank">What Causes Heart Disease IV</a>, 02/08/2016, Lots of causes of CVD, but only 1 underlying process. He covers the first of four stages that culminate in the development of an atherosclerotic plaque that culminates in the final fatal blood clot--endothelial damage. He looks at three aspects: Nitric Oxide synthesis, consequences of endothelial damage, and tissue factor (a clotting agent). NO is created in the endothelium. It relaxes blood vessels and is an anti-coagulant. Perhaps the single most powerful factor to increase NO synthesis is sunlight. Wow<span style="background-color: cyan;"><span style="background-color: white;">!</span> The implications</span> of this alone <span style="background-color: cyan;">are tremendous.</span> Biomechanical stress (turbulent blood flow, stretching and bending of the blood vessel, high shear stress, high blood pressure, rapid blood flow, points where the blood has to change direction violently) is thought to be the highest damaging factor. The tissue factor is <em>inside all blood vessel walls and immediately forms a clot</em> if there is damage. Once the damage is covered, the clot stops. Then what happens to it? To be continued in the next part.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2016/02/13/what-causes-heart-disease-part-v/" target="_blank">What Causes Heart Disease V</a>, 02/13/2016, Start with some background about how the hypotheses of CVD developed and changed. How does the clot get inside the arterial wall? Endothelial cells grow over the clot. But now you just have a clot in the wall of the blood vessel. This doesn't seem too smart. What happens to the clot? If your body is working right, some of the new endothelial cells convert into macrophages and clear up the clot itself as the new endothelium is forming. But if the damage/clot process happens too rapidly or repeatedly in the same place, the body simply can't keep up with the cleanup. Then the clot turns into "a pulpy mass containing cholesterol crystals and fatty globules."</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2016/02/21/what-causes-heart-disease-part-vi/" target="_blank">What Causes Heart Disease VI</a>, 02/21/2016, Recapping, there is a four-step process that happens with CVD. Endothelial damage, clot formation/dysfunctional clot formation, clot repair/dysfunctional clot repair, and the final fatal blood clot. Plasminogen in clots causes the destruction of the clot by slicing apart the fibrinogen (good). Plasminogen activation inhibitor (PAI) prevents that. <span style="background-color: orange;"><strong>Triglycerides enhance PAI</strong> and therefore impair breakdown of the clots!</span> Therefore hyp<span style="background-color: white;">ertriglycer</span>idemia is bad. Fibrinogen. According to the Scottish Heart study, High cholesterol has no effect, but "<em>‘Fibrinogen is a strong predictor of coronary heart disease, fatal or non-fatal, new or recurrent, and of death from an unspecified cause, for both men and women."</em> The study found that "<em><strong>Unexpectedly</strong>, individuals with low plasma fibrinogen had a low incidence of coronary events even when serum LDL cholesterol was high."</em> Smoking, stress, sleep apnea, diabetes, and depression all raise fibrinogens. Lp(a) is a type of LDL but with a "backward-threaded" plasminogen molecule. So Lp(a) folded into a blood clot blocks plasminogen, preventing a clot from breaking itself down. Aside, LP(a) is found in mammals that do not produce their own Vitamin C. It provides a permanent plug for holes in tissue because scurvy prevents collagen production. Lp(a) level in the blood is thought to be largely genetic, but there is evidence that ensuring more than minimum vitamin C and <a href="http://www.cureality.com/blog/post/2011/07/08/lpa-be-patient-with-fish-oil.html" target="_blank">fish oil</a> (<a href="http://www.lipoproteinafoundation.org/page/FishOilandLpa" target="_blank">2</a>)/flaxseed can reduce Lp(a).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2016/03/01/what-causes-heart-disease-part-vii/" target="_blank">What Causes Heart Disease VII</a>, 03/01/2016, Yes heart disease is multifactorial, i.e. many things can cause it, but they all trigger the same process. If you can't do this, your hypothesis is off. It's not the cholesterol. He focused on blood clotting factors and found that factors that increased clotting were bad and vice versa. HDL inhibits platelet activation in the endothelium and increases NO production. <em>‘Plaques are clots, and clots are plaques. It is all due to blood clotting.</em>’ It is staring you in the face. It has been staring humanity in the face for over a hundred and sixty years. Ever since Rokitansky and Virchow started to look closely. There is no cholesterol in the story. It's something that just happens to be there.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2016/03/10/what-causes-heart-disease-part-viii/" target="_blank">What Causes Heart Disease VIII</a>, 03/10/2016, The body can heal plaques. (Probably not once calcified, but that is another issue). This chapter relates to the third step--Clot repair / dysfunctional clot repair. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs, repair stem cells) are an important part of the picture. Exercise, l-arginine/citrulline, ACE inhibitors, and statins all increase NO levels and EPCs. "...statins do have some benefits in CVD. Not enough, in my opinion, to overcome the damage that they can do. However, the benefit is there, it is real. I knew it could be nothing to do with the impact of statins on lowering LDL, as LDL has nothing to do with CVD (well, almost nothing). So there had to be another effect. And that effect is, in my opinion, almost entirely to do with the ability of statins to increase nitric oxide (NO) production..." Many people saw that statins reduced cholesterol and improved CVD outcomes. Therefore, they assumed that correlation = causation and low cholesterol is the key.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2016/03/16/what-causes-heart-disease-part-ix/" target="_blank">What Causes Heart Disease IX</a>, 03/16/2016, Modern medicine's disease paradigm has forced the shoe onto the wrong foot. Confirmation bias and cognitive dissonance take over and researchers make excuses for contradictory data. "Me; ‘The French have higher cholesterol levels than the Russians and one-tenth the rate of CVD.' A.N. Expert: ‘The French are protected by drinking red wine and eating lightly cooked vegetables and garlic.’ is an example of an ad hoc hypothesis. A new type of study called a teleoanalysis was brought in to try to legitimize ad hoc hypotheses. In a nutshell, they create a hypothesis, assume a study has been done, and declare victory. In other words, they make shit up. "...<em>teleoanalysis provides the answer to questions that would be obtained from studies that have not been done and often, for ethical and financial reasons, could never be done.’</em> Lol.<a href="http://www.bmj.com/content/327/7415/616?sso"></a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2016/03/22/what-causes-heart-disease-part-x/" target="_blank">What Causes Heart Disease X</a>, 03/22/2016, Calcification in arteries. Coronary Artery Calcium (CAC). The best way to look at calcification is as an end stage of plaque development. It may actually be a protective mechanism that puts a hard cap on top of the plaque to prevent it from escaping into the bloodstream and clogging other blood vessels. Not all plaques calcify. Vitamins K and D seem to be protective, and Warfarin seems to increase calcification. Calcification seems to have the effect of making plaques more stable. Conclusions: 1. After the age of 40-50, if your CAC score is zero, your risk of CVD is low. 2. If your CAC score is high, it means you have been developing plaques for quite a while, and your risk is higher. "[However, bear in mind that CAC represents your history, not necessarily your future]." 3. Calcification can reverse. Vitamin K2 seems to help this. 4. Calcification is not a cause of CVD. Rather it seems to be an end state of the process. 5. There is no evidence that reversing calcification improves CVD risk. "But it seems likely there would be benefit."</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2016/03/23/sunbathing-is-good-for-you/" target="_blank">Sunbathing is Good for You</a>, 3/23/2016, ‘Results: Sunburn, high intermittent sun exposure, skin awareness histories, and solar elastosis were statistically significantly inversely associated with death from melanoma.’‘Conclusion: Sun exposure is associated with increased survival from melanoma.’</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2016/03/22/what-causes-heart-disease-part-xi/" target="_blank">What Causes Heart Disease XI</a>, 03/26/2016, A new study has come out about people with coronary artery disease (CAD). The headline says "Depressed CAD Patients May be at Higher Risk For MI, Death" CAD patients with depression are much more likely to die. Depression creates dysfunction in the hormonal response to stress (HPA-axis). Abnormal cortisol levels--low in the morning, high the rest of the time. Cortisol is a direct antagonist to insulin, and severe depression can actually cause T2 diabetes! It can also cause clotting abnormalities: higher fibrinogen, higher Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor, which prevents clot repair. "Diabetes/raised blood sugar levels are directly damaging to the endothelium. Raised fibrinogen and PAI-1 are very powerful risk factors for CVD, primarily because they make the blood more likely to clot, and the clot more difficult to clear up." </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2016/04/10/lowering-cholesterol-has-no-effect-on-heart-disease/" target="_blank">Lower Cholesterol Has No Effect On Heart Disease</a>, 4/24/2016, Hope3 trial for rosuvastatin. Showed no difference between the treatment and placebo groups. Accelerate trial tested evacetrapib. "Despite reducing levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or “bad” cholesterol) by 37 percent and raising levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or “good” cholesterol) by 130 percent, the drug failed to reduce rates of major cardiovascular events, including heart attack, stroke, angina or cardiovascular death." "Researchers, looking at those living in Framingham, in the US, found that younger men with high cholesterol levels were more likely to die from CVD. From this, they concluded. Raised cholesterol causes CVD. ACCELERATE clearly falsifies their simplistic hypothesis. It is a black swan." The evidence is very clear: increased cholesterol is not a cause of nor associated with CVD. Greater cholesterol lowering using polyunsaturated fat increases the risk of death. Yet here's what the British Heart Foundation, as well as other heart disease associations, say. "Here is what the BHF currently say about saturated fats (SFA): ‘Swap these for unsaturated fats. Eating too much saturated-fat increases the amount of cholesterol in your blood.’"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2016/04/25/what-causes-heart-disease-part-xii/" target="_blank">What Causes Heart Disease XII</a>, 04/25/2016, The four-step process is really overlapping processes. Now, the role of lipoproteins. Bottom Line: High levels of LDL increase the risk of blood clots forming (oxidized LDL is really bad), High levels of HDL reduce the risk of blood clots forming, VLDL/triglycerides increase the risk of blood clots forming. All this is not because cholesterol clogs the arteries, but rather because of their impact on clotting. So lipoproteins do have a role in this. Kendrick apparently believes the role is small (supported by research as well, see links below.)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2016/05/07/what-causes-heart-disease-part-xiii/" target="_blank">What Causes Heart Disease XIII</a>, 05/07/2016, Heart Disease and Inflammation - Take nothing at face value. Many leading researchers have enormous financial stakes in drug trials--often undisclosed. Inflammation as a cause of CVD is not an unreasonable hypothesis, but... There seems to be an association, but is it causal. Inflammation is actually a healing process. If you sprain your ankle, the damage causes an injury and healing process that results in swelling and pain. The swelling and pain did not cause the swollen ankle. "Whenever I see anyone stating that inflammation is a cause of anything I simply change the word inflammation to the word ‘healing,’ to see how sensible it then sounds." Autoimmune diseases, e.g. rheumatoid arthritis and asthma are the result of runaway inflammation, and anti-inflammatory can help. RICE for injuries is now thought to be misguided because "<em>‘Anything That Reduces Inflammation Also Delays Healing</em> [I cannot resist stating that, this is because inflammation <strong>is</strong> healing]" People who take corticosteroids may get "iatrogenic Cushing's syndrome." This anti-inflammatory regime increases CVD risk. "In short, if CVD is primarily a disease of inflammation, then potent anti-inflammatory agents ought to reduce the risk. Instead, they increase it massively. There is no doubt that inflammation is associated with CVD. Equally, if you measure C-reactive protein (a marker of inflammation), a high level is associated with a higher risk of CVD. However, it is not a cause, and if you try to reduce inflammation you will almost certainly increase the risk of CVD, not decrease it. Ergo. Inflammation is a sign of active CVD."</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2016/05/18/what-causes-heart-disease-part-xiv/" target="_blank">What Causes Heart Disease XIV</a>, 05/18/2016, Age and sex are two of the most prominent risk factors associated with CVD. There is no doubt that there is an association and a strong one. The calculators used by doctors generally overstate CVD risk. "...if the two most powerful risk factors you have for CVD, cannot be explained, are not explained, then you really have a major problem. Even if you cannot even comprehend that you do."If you cannot explain why age, and gender, cause CVD… you cannot explain CVD."</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2016/05/31/what-causes-heart-disease-part-xv/" target="_blank">What Causes Heart Disease XV</a>, 05/31/2016, Everyone "knows" pizza is bad for you. However there was a study assessing the impact of pizza on heart disease. It showed that pizza helps. Upon discovery that the study was done by Italians, the expert said, "Oh yes, but Italian pizzas are much healthier than those in the UK." Pulled straight out of thin air, ad hoc hypotheses like these are extremely common. "There was no point in saying what things may, or may not, cause CVD – and compiling an ever-lengthening list of ‘risk’ factors. I had to work out the process through which any factor may operate, both causal and protected." HE questioned, "Can you link any and all factors, known to cause CVD by their impact on one of two things: Endothelial damage (which triggers blood clot formation) or Increasing blood coagulability (making clots more like to form, become bigger and/or less easy to break down). For all the lists of the usual suspects, he had a "reasonable" view of the mechanism associated with clotting. Warfarin was one of his potential black swans because despite functioning as an anticoagulant, it appeared to have little or no impact on CVD risk. His belief is through its connection with Vitamin K, Warfarin inhibits normal "intrinsic" clotting, whereas the clots that occur in CVD start with the damage to the endothelium and subsequent exposure of blood to the tissue factor, so no effect. This is an extrinsically driven clotting mechanism. But Warfarin also inhibits the cleanup of clots through the Vitamin K channel. <i>E4E query: It is possible that this explanation of Warfarin is just another ad hoc hypothesis? A "just-so" story? Who knows. </i>Kendrick goes on to say "In the spirit of true scientific endeavour, I welcome as many attacks/contradictions as people can think of. What does not kill a scientific hypothesis can only make it stronger."</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2016/06/08/what-causes-heart-disease-part-xvi/" target="_blank">What Causes Heart Disease XVI</a>, 06/08/2017, He discusses how sickle cell anemia and migraine headaches both cause CVD through their link with the clotting system. From an article in BMJ, "Cardiovascular disease was 50% more likely among the women with migraine. Heart attack was 39% more likely, stroke 62% more likely, and these women were 73% more likely to have a revascularization procedure." There's not much research in the area, but he found that migraine is associated with, or causes, blood clotting abnormalities – and also damage to the endothelium in one study. He also cites a case in which Warfarin was successfully used to treat migraines. He challenges the reader to suggest another mechanism besides clotting that is consistent with this set of information. Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the other topic of this post. There is a strong association between SCD and CVD. The abnormal shape of the red blood cells causes both clotting problems and increased endothelial damage. "...sickling process leads to vascular occlusion, tissue hypoxia, and subsequent reperfusion injury, thus inducing inflammation and <strong>endothelial injury</strong>. This causes a <strong>blunted response to nitric oxide (NO)</strong> synthase inhibition." "In one short section on SCD, we have virtually everything I have been writing about in this series so far. There is: Reduced NO synthesis, damage to the endothelium, increased risk of blood clotting in general, increased platelet activation and adhesion, inhibition of endothelial cell repair and proliferation, increased risk of CVD, and accelerated atherosclerotic plaque development." Sickling also causes hypertension in the pulmonary arteries which is extremely rare. Therefore SCD must be a very powerful contributor to CVD.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2016/06/19/what-causes-heart-disease-part-xvii/" target="_blank">What Causes Heart Disease XVII</a>, 06/19/2016, Epidemiology of CVD. In 1948, the World Health Organization (WHO) came up with standard codes for the International Classification of Disease (ICD). Although the codes were standardized, it is not clear if the standards used were the same everywhere. In fact, it's certain they weren't. At least it was a step in the right direction and it is [probably improving over time. The MONICA project attempted to standardize this. CVD deaths have been declining in the UK since 1980, the introduction and increasing use of statins had little or no impact on the decrease. OTOH, Latvia and Russia had CVD death charts that map well onto social and political upheaval.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2016/07/12/what-causes-heart-disease-past-xviii/" target="_blank">What Causes Heart Disease XVIII</a>, 07/12/2016, Talking about cholesterol. Here's the bottom line: a. LDL is pro-coagulant and – at very high levels e.g. in FH – increases the risk of CVD [though it is difficult to disentangle this from intertwined genetic pro-coagulant factors]. b. VLDL (triglycerides) are pro-coagulant and increase the risk of CVD. c. HDL is anticoagulant and protects against CVD. This then brings us to statins, and how they work. First to re-iterate that statins do reduce the risk of CVD [Something, I have never disputed]. However, they do it not by lowering LDL, but because they have anticoagulant effects. Not that potent, about the same as aspirin, but the effect does exist.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2016/07/31/what-causes-heart-disease-part-xviiii/" target="_blank">What Causes Heart Disease XIX</a>, 07/31/2016, Ancel Keys and the diet-heart hypothesis. Sixty years ago Keys proposed that consuming cholesterol raised blood cholesterol, which then caused heart disease. He later changed his story to saturated fat raising cholesterol, thereby... Many did not agree with him, but he was very influential and his view became accepted as dogma and set the agenda for discussion of CVD. Kendrick does not see any eating behavior that powerfully links diet to CVD. "The only link that I can see is that people who eat a higher carbohydrate diet are more likely to become obese and develop diabetes. Or, perhaps I should say, develop diabetes and become obese." <span style="background-color: #ffe599;">"...[Keys] certainly succeeded in anchoring almost all discussions within the wider hypothesis that CVD is primarily due to diet. It is not." <span style="background-color: white;">A lot of people in the comments to this post insist that CVD<span style="background-color: white;"> does</span></span><span style="background-color: white;"> have to do with <span style="background-color: white;">diet. <em>e4e take:</em> I believe that Kendrick deliberately overstated the case against diet being a cause of CVD.</span></span><span style="background-color: white;"> I think there is a subtle distinction at play: unless you are eating poison, the specifics of what you eat have little to do with the process of CVD. At the same time, deficiencies of certain nutrients can and do enhance the CVD process. Changing your dietary patterns may change your overall health and shift your nutrient intake patterns. He did state in an earlier post that a lack of vitamin C causes scurvy and can impact Lp(a) expression. If I were to attempt a slightly more pedantic statement, perhaps something like, "Assuming you have adequate intakes of important nutrients and are meeting your body's needs at a reasonable calorie balance, the specifics of your food intake have little impact on CVD health at a population level."</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2016/08/21/what-causes-heart-disease-part-xx/" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: white;">What Causes Heart Disease XX</span></a><span style="background-color: white;">, 08/21/2016,</span> Stress/strain. Stress is what creates a response, strain is the biological and chemical processes that result in the body from stress. Strain can be measured by dysfunction in the HPA axis (hypothalamic, pituitary, adrenal). A normal cortisol secretion rises in the morning, goes down, rises at lunch, and goes down and up quite a lot for the rest of the day. It is, basically, flexible. An unhealthy cortisol secretion is more of a flat line. It does not peak in the morning, then it does not fall so much. "...hypothesis being that if someone is exposed to repeated activation of the HPA-axis it eventually becomes unable to cope. The system becomes damaged/inflexible." If you are exposed to constant negative stressors, you are likely to burn out your HPA-axis, and you will end up with abnormal cortisol secretion, and suchlike. You will then develop central obesity, high blood pressure, high VLDL levels, low HDL levels, high levels of fibrinogen, and many other clotting factors. All of these things will increase endothelial damage, stimulate blood clotting, and impair the repair systems. Country-level data on Latvia and Lithuania during times of crisis may be good evidence for the impact of strain on CVD.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2016/09/21/what-causes-heart-disease-part-xxi/" target="_blank">What Causes Heart Disease XXI</a>, 09/21/2016, Use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) increases the risk of CVD. There are two known effects. 1. PPIs tend to cause platelets to aggregate or clump more. But this does not seem to be the important mechanism. More damning is #2: PPIs tend to inhibit the excretion of NO. Here's what Kendrick says. "...PPIs inhibit NO production, through a biochemical system that is well known and has been clearly established. NO is probably <em>the</em> vital molecule in heart health. It protects the endothelium, it prevents blood clots, it stimulates the production of endothelial progenitor cells. Therefore, anything that damages NO synthesis will – inevitably – increase the risk of CVD."</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">What Causes Heart Disease XXII, No XXII exists</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2016/12/24/what-causes-heart-disease-part-xxiii/" target="_blank">What Causes Heart Disease XXIII</a>, 12/24/2016, The dietary guidelines are under attack. The Minnesota Coronary Experiment proved that the hypothesis that "saturated fat causes heart disease" is invalid. In fact, the replacement of saturated fat with polyunsaturated vegetable oils actually increased death from all causes. This study is important because it was the largest trial to test this. It was run by Ancel Keys and was finished before the nutritional guidelines were developed. The results were not published until MANY years later. Kendrick says "A bunch of liars hid the results." Which may be true. I tend to take the more generous view that well-meaning people were blinded by confirmation bias and cognitive dissonance. This is not an excuse. Shame on the people who hid the results and contributed directly or indirectly to an enormous amount of human suffering and chronic diseases. "The McGovern hearings which set the entire direction of nutritional thinking, and guidelines, took place in 1977. The MCE trial ran from 1968 to 1973. Had the data from this study been made available, the dietary guidelines in the US, the UK, and the rest of the world (In their current form, demonising saturated fat) simply could not have been written." <i>It comes back to three things: Protect the endothelium (lining of blood vessels) from harm, reduce the risk of blood clots forming – especially over areas of endothelial damage, and reduce the size and tenacity (difficulty of being broken down) of the blood clots that develop.</i> How to protect the endothelium? The number one agent that protects the endothelium is nitric oxide (NO). Thus, anything that stimulates NO synthesis will be protective against CVD. This brings us to sunshine and vitamin D. Sunlight on the skin directly stimulates NO synthesis, which has been shown to reduce blood pressure, improve arterial elasticity, and a whole host of other beneficial things for your cardiovascular system, not least a reduction in blood clot formation. Sunlight on the skin also creates vitamin D, which has a significant impact on NO synthesis in endothelial cells, alongside many other actions. It also prevents cancer, so you get a double benefit. "avoiding the sun is as bad for you as smoking. In my (E4E) opinion, ordering people to avoid the sun may be the single most dangerous and damaging piece of health prevention advice there has ever been." See the post for more details about why sun exposure is not dangerous.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2017/01/16/what-causes-heart-disease-part-xxiv/" target="_blank">What Causes Heart Disease XXIV</a>, 01/16/2017, A refresher on Vitamin C and Lp(a). Humans lost the ability to generate Vitamin C 60 million years ago. High levels of glucose prevent Vitamin C from entering cells in the body, especially immune cells. Scurvy from lack of Vitamin C has many symptoms, but focus on bleeding in this post. Vitamin C is an important piece of collagen synthesis. Collagen repairs damaged blood vessels. As blood vessels "crack," Lp(a) fixes the damage. Lp(a) is resistant to removal and eventual repair. Thrombolysis is the word for the ordered breakdown of clots. (‘lyse’ means to break down). But, Lp(a) is inert to the chemicals that break down clots. So if you have high levels of Lp(a), your clots will be resistant to breaking down. G. C. Willis did scurvy studies on guinea pigs (which also do not produce vitamin C). Withholding Vitamin C, formed plaques, feeding them Vitamin C reversed plaques. But the longer you wait, the more resistant the plaques become. Here's what we know: A high level of Lp(a) is associated with a higher risk of CVD, There is a probable causal mechanism linking Lp(a) to CVD death; Lp(a) is synthesized in animals that cannot make their own Vitamin C. A lack of vitamin C causes blood vessels to crack open – and potentially leads to atherosclerotic plaques development. Animal models have shown that a lack of vitamin C does lead to rapid atherosclerotic plaque development, and that replacement of vitamin C causes rapid regression of atherosclerosis, Some evidence from humans suggests that vitamin C supplementation causes regression of atherosclerotic plaques, Vitamin C supplementation does seem to lead to a reduction in Lp(a) levels, L-carnitine supplementation does lead to a reduction in Lp(a) levels, L-carnitine supplementation may reduce overall mortality. L-carnitine is a protein found in beef. There is little good research on therapeutic or maintenance levels of most vitamins, and there is no profit motive to do so at this point. An interesting note from the comments: <em>"Relative Ascorbate deficiency is almost universal, and scurvy is very much a drastic, almost complete deficiency. The joke of RDA will certainly prevent this drastic end-stage disease, but not more insidious chronic consequences of weak collagen. Pauling recommended 6-18 G of vit c per day. Nothing heals without vitamin C. Including I would guess, microscopic vascular defects. Many long-term conditions are quite possibly a result of the weak collagen caused by non-catastrophic ascorbate deficiency."</em> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2017/02/13/what-causes-heart-disease-part-xxv/" target="_blank">What Causes Heart Disease XXV</a>, 02/13/2017, The cholesterol hypothesis of heart disease is blown away by one graph--heart disease vs. cholesterol level in Russia and Switzerland. Switzerland has a cholesterol level of 248 and a death rate of 35; Russia has lower cholesterol at 197 and a death rate of about 270--834% higher. The establishment calls it a paradox and makes something up, but the reality is cholesterol is simply not the problem. CVD has been falling in most advanced Western countries for decades--well before statins, hypertension medications, stents, etc. This is probably largely due to reductions in smoking. Emergency medical interventions have also improved significantly. Other factors include the clean air laws passed in past decades and the removal of lead from motor fuel, pipes, and paints. "<em>Lead causes <strong>endothelial dysfunction</strong> by binding and inhibiting endothelial nitric oxide synthase and <strong>decreasing nitric oxide</strong> production." </em>The TACT study (Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy) was hoped to disprove the idea that chelation took lead out of the system and improved health. But oops,"...<em>we found that we had about a 40% reduction in total mortality, a 40% reduction in recurrent MI, and about a 50% reduction in mortality [in patients with diabetes],"</em></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2017/02/15/what-causes-heart-disease-part-xxvi/" target="_blank">What Causes Heart Disease XXVI</a>, 02/15/2017, A mainstream <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryhusten/2012/04/25/when-youre-hot-youre-hot-salim-yusuf-second-most-influential-scientist-in-2011/#6ac825575abe" target="_blank">cardiology professor</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwGteseHyas" target="_blank">Salim Yusuf has a youtube presentation</a> where he says, "1. Saturated fat does raise LDL, a bit, but has no effect on CVD – maybe slightly beneficial. Monounsaturated fats are slightly beneficial. Polyunsaturated fats are neutral, 2. Carbohydrate intake is most closely associated with CVD. 3. Fruit and vegetable intake has little or no impact on CVD – nor does fish intake [He wonders where the five portions of fruit and vegetable intake recommendations actually came from]. Vegetables, in particular, have no benefit. 4. Legumes – beans and suchlike – are beneficial. 5. The recommendations on salt intake are completely wrong and set far too low. For those who do not have high blood pressure, low salt intake increases mortality. On the other hand, high salt intake does no harm. 6. He recommends higher potassium intake. 7. He criticizes Ancel Keys and lauds Nina Teicholz [Author of The Big Fat Surprise]. Yay.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2017/03/06/what-causes-heart-disease-part-xxvii/" target="_blank">What Causes Heart Disease XXVII</a>, 03/06/2017, In which Malcolm makes the imaginary elevator pitch to Bill Gates. ‘<em><strong>Blood clots can form and stick to the inside of artery walls.</strong> They then get absorbed into the artery wall itself, where, normally, they are cleared away by specialised white blood cells. But <strong>if blood clots keep forming rapidly, at the same point, or the blood clots are bigger and more difficult to shift when they form, they cannot be cleared away</strong> quickly enough, and so end up stuck inside the artery wall. This leads to a build-up of blood clot residue, and remnants in the artery wall itself. This means that <strong>repeated episodes of clotting, over time, build into thickenings, and narrow the larger arteries,</strong> mainly in the heart and the neck, growing somewhat like tree rings. These areas of damage are usually called atherosclerotic plaques. In time, the <strong>process of blood clotting, over a vulnerable area, leads to heart attacks and strokes as the final, fatal blood clot forms over an area of the artery that is already thickened and narrowed.</strong> In short, atherosclerotic plaques are the remnants of blood clots. Heart attacks and strokes are the end result of the same processes that caused plaques to form in the first place. <strong>Heart disease is a disease of abnormal blood clotting.</strong> It is as simple as that. The end." </em>The blood clotting hypothesis has been proposed and worked many times and for decades by different people. Kendrick believes it is the only hypothesis that reasonably fits all known facts about CVD. "Sometimes the truth stares us in the face, but we just choose not to look." Gil Lewis. It appears that the money and, therefore, research have all been funneled into the cholesterol hypothesis--which is clearly and demonstrably flawed. Pfizer was pursuing the clotting branch in their research and had a promising drug in development called doxazosin. Then they bought Warner-Lambert which made Lipitor (a statin). "The focus became Lipitor and lipids, lipids, lipids. Lo it came to pass that Pfizer never mentioned blood clotting ever again, lest it interfere with the LDL story. Pity really, because mighty Pfizer got it right in 1992." "At some point, this, the blood clotting hypothesis, the correct hypothesis will win. Maybe that time will be now."</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2017/03/17/what-causes-heart-disease-part-xviii/" target="_blank">What Causes Heart Disease XXVIII</a>, 03/17/2017, Holy crap! This one blindsided me. He tells the story of a drug trial to treat angina by Pfizer. After the trials, the subjects refused to give back their extra medications. It was a PDE5i inhibitor. It turns out the drug had a surprising side-effect—it helped men maintain erections. Yes, this is about Viagra. It turns out that even besides the erectile dysfunction angle, it has other positive effects. For one, it helps prevent pulmonary edema at high altitudes. It also treats Reynaud's syndrome as well as reducing high blood pressure in the lungs. "How does it do all these things? The answer is that <b style="background-color: #fff2cc;">it increases Nitric Oxide (NO) synthesis in endothelial cells.</b> When it does this in the penis, it stimulates erections. In the heart, it opens up coronary arteries. In the lungs, it dilates the blood vessels; in fingers and toes, it opens up arteries. So, all of the many different effects, are all due to exactly the same process – increased NO synthesis. Viagra also lowers blood pressure – as you would expect." Here are the statistics from one study: 4.7% reduction in overall mortality, 38% reduction in MI (relative risk reduction), 14.6% reduction in death after an MI. Compared to stents, Viagra is even more impressive—stents give a 2% absolute reduction in mortality, and Viagra gives about 15%. Men with heart failure were 36% less likely to die (relative risk) if they took a PCE5i inhibitor. It reduces congestive heart failure probably by increasing angiogenesis. l-arginine/l-citrulline, direct sunlight on the skin, potassium, meditation, and Vitamins D and C all have a positive impact on NO in endothelial cells. Viagra could probably save or improve millions of lives, but... Once ED became the prescription focus, research stopped on the CVD side. Now that Viagra is off-patent, there seems little hope that that avenue will ever be pursued. e4e note: there is a daily Cialis available. I believe it is for the treatment of ED. Off-label use of prescriptions is frowned upon by the medical establishment.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2017/03/20/cholesterol-lowering-proven-or-not/">Cholesterol-lowering – proven or not?</a>, 03/20/2017, PCSK9 trials Repatha. evolcumab trials. This drug was highly successful in lowering cholesterol, yet if anything, mortality was worse. The trial was stopped in the middle to protect patients. Another nail in the cholesterol-causes-CVD-coffin. Tom Naughton of FatHead fame did a <a href="http://www.fathead-movie.com/index.php/2018/04/19/how-to-save-zero-lives-for-the-low-low-cost-of-two-million-dollars-and-change/" target="_blank">post about PCSK9 </a>trials too. "Overall, no significant change was observed in all‐cause mortality or cardiovascular mortality.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2017/04/01/what-causes-heart-disease-part-xxix/" target="_blank">What Causes Heart Disease XXIX</a>, 04/01/2017, Alcohol and lifestyle: 1: Do not smoke cigarettes (to which I would now add – or anything else). 2: Take exercise – that you enjoy. Don’t try to drive yourself into the ground. Walking outside is particularly good, especially on a sunny day. 3: If you don’t drink alcohol, start. If you do drink, drink regularly – don’t binge drink – and make sure that you enjoy what you drink. Drink with friends, drink<span new="" roman="" serif="" times=""> sociably<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;">, and don’t drink to get drunk. 4: If you hate your job, get another one – don’t feel trapped. 5: Make a new friend, join a club, find an area of life that you enjoy. Praise other people and try to compliment other people more often. 6: Look forward to something enjoyable every day, every month, and longer term. His take on alcohol "...</span></span> alcohol – as a chemical – is not protective against CVD. It is protective because, in the various forms that humans drink it, it is relaxing, reduces stress/strain, and when it is drunk with friends, it is part of a lifestyle that is protective. ...In short, I do not believe drinking alcohol is a true ‘drug’ effect. The lifestyle around drinking has a major part to play. However, I may be wrong. Researchers have studied the effects of different types of drinks on factors that I consider key for CVD. Endothelial function, and blood clotting factors. It seems that red wine and beer are the most beneficial." There are also studies that show that high levels of alcohol consumption can have a negative impact on clotting stickiness. There seems to be a therapeutic window beyond which alcohol can be harmful. Non-drinkers and very heavy drinkers have similar outcomes. Where does heavy drinking start? Hm. The research did not test for this. They called heavy drinking anything more than two glasses a day. So they would have lumped those who drink 2.1 glasses of wine each day with those who drink 2.1 bottles of gin. Safe to say though, that having two drinks or so per day is likely to be beneficial. By the way, red wine and beer are the alcohols in the studies discussed.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2017/04/16/what-causes-heart-disease-part-xxix-part-b/" target="_blank">What Causes Heart Disease XXIXb</a>, 04/16/2017, Alcohol--Kendrick defends his claims about alcohol. One important objection is that the studies are observational/epidemiological, not randomized and placebo-controlled. That's true. It's also true that many things we know and believe have never had RCTs. The observational studies are the best that we have. But it's not definitive. Some readers also expressed concern that if Kendrick encourages people to drink in moderation, some will get carried away and become alcoholics, thereby causing them more harm than not drinking. While yes, this is a possibility, he believes that more people would benefit than would be harmed by the recommendation, so the total benefit favors moderate drinking even though, there will be some people who get worse. Cheers!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2017/06/06/what-causes-heart-disease-part-xxx/" target="_blank">What Causes Heart Disease XXX</a>, 06/06/2017, On the hypothesis that inflammation causes CVD. A follow-on to XIII. According to Kendrick, inflammation is generally a healing result of damage, not a cause of damage. Reducing inflammation inhibits damage repair, so the I in RICE may actually slow down healing. In some cases, e.g. autoimmune diseases, inflammation is the body malfunctioning with inflammation actually causing damage, so in those cases, powerful anti-inflammatories are justified. But corticosteroids, a very potent anti-inflammatory, do not reduce CVD risk. Hm. In fact, many agents that reduce inflammation and suppress the immune system increase CVD risk. Even non-aspirin NSAIDs are beefing up their warnings.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2017/06/21/what-causes-heart-disease-part-thirty-one-xxxi/" target="_blank">What causes heart disease – part thirty one (XXXI)</a>, 06/21/2017, What is the final action in CVD? "The final event in most heart attacks, and strokes, is the development of a large, and often fatal, blood clot. If this happens in an artery in the heart, a coronary artery, it cuts off blood supply to an area of the heart muscle and can lead to myocardial infarction (MI) [myocardium = heart muscle, infarction = death of tissue due to lack of oxygen]. There is a related, but different mechanism of action, in most, strokes. In this case, a blood clot that has formed in an artery in the neck (carotid artery), breaks off and travels to the brain where it gets stuck, blocking an artery. This leads to a cerebral infarction." This is a simplified view. There are studies and evidence from people who develop plaque extremely rapidly that the clotting function is the underlying cause. "There is only one process. Atherosclerotic plaque are simply blood clots, in various stages of growth and/or repair. Plaque growth represents the formation of a new blood clot, at the same point, which is not cleared away properly. The final ‘thrombotic’ event is just a big enough clot forming to do real damage." There is ample evidence that plaques are formed by multiple episodes of clot and repair. "Was it possible, I asked myself, that blood clotting was not just responsible for the final clot, but also for the entire process of atherosclerosis? I believe that the evidence is out there, and clearly supportive, if you choose to look at it this way round. I suppose you could say that I do not believe in atherothrombosis. I believe in thromboatherosis<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 14px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;">(you’re right, I just made that word up)</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 14px;">. In </span>thromboatherosis<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;">, plaques </span>start <span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;">and grow, through repeated thrombus formation at the same spot in an artery. In the end, a clot gets big enough to cause a stroke or heart attack. Sometimes the clot can be big enough to kill, without any underlying plaque, but normally it will form over an already existing plaque – where plaque rupture can be the trigger. In short, there</span><em style="border: 0px currentcolor; color: #444444; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> is</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"> only one process in CVD. It is the development of atherosclerotic plaques through repeated thrombus formation, followed by the final thrombus formation. As you can see, this is actually very close to mainstream thinking. The only difference is that you have to flip your thinking through one hundred and eighty degrees, to see it upside down." </span><i style="color: #444444;">e4e comment: IMHO, this hypothesis is really clean. It is predicated on only one (albeit complicated) process. There is lots of evidence for it, and alternate hypotheses, e.g. cholesterol theory, have lots of contradictory evidence and are clouded by commercial interests and the usual suspects of confirmation bias and cognitive dissonance. I am confident that it is not perfect in every way; there are too many variables. When looked at from a human evolutionary perspective, it just. makes. sense.</i></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2017/07/12/what-causes-heart-disease-part-thirty-two-xxxii/" target="_blank">What Causes Heart Disease XXXII</a>, 07/12/2017, for years Kendrick believed that stress was a main driver of CVD, but he had not identified the mechanism by which it occurs. In his words, "Negative psychological and/or physical stress → HPA-axis dysfunction → abnormal cortisol secretion → metabolic syndrome/type II diabetes → atherosclerosis → increased risk of CVD. Now, I think that this model is still perfectly usable, and it explains a lot. However, although I drew a simple arrow from metabolic syndrome/type II diabetes → atherosclerosis, this is the bit that Paul Rosch was talking about. What is actually happening here? It is all very well to state that something causes something else, but you still need to explain how."</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2017/07/29/what-causes-heart-disease-part-xxxiii/" target="_blank">What Causes Heart Disease XXXIII</a>, 07/29/2017, Viagra again. The idea that CVD begins with damage to the endothelium completely negates the cholesterol hypothesis of CVD. He follows with a letter from the mainstream that claims that "cholesterol deniers" are killing people. Kendrick shows evidence that debunks the cholesterol hypothesis and reiterates some of his arguments supporting the atherothrombosis hypothesis. But he goes on to say that statins do have some positive effects—just not because of the cholesterol-lowering. There is a study of atorvastatin that showed positive effects on nitric oxide and endothelial protection. He concludes with, "If you decide to look more closely at the process of CVD, and more closely at the actions of statins, a different picture emerges. One which fully supports endothelial damage as the first step in plaque formation. Because statins do many more things than LDL lowering. It could be said that statins are simply the poor man’s Viagra (other PDE5i inhibitors are available)."</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2017/08/09/what-causes-heart-disease-part-xxxiv-part-thirty-four/" target="_blank">What causes heart disease part XXXIV (part thirty-four)</a>, 08/09/2017, Looking for contradictions. Refuting hypotheses in the health field is very difficult. There are always ad hoc hypotheses and variables of variables. Just in cholesterol, if you factor in all the types of cholesterol, there could be 25 factorial (25!) combinations to test. Even setting "Safe" levels of any single variable is difficult and mostly illogical. Effectively with the paradigm of the lower the better, everyone has high cholesterol. "When confronted with logic like this, the cholesterol hypothesis is perfectly protected from attack. It is a non-refutable hypothesis. As Karl Popper said, 'if you cannot construct your hypothesis in such a way that it can be refuted, it is not science,' a.k.a. nonsense." Which is why Kendrick looked for an entirely different pathway.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2017/08/19/what-causes-heart-disease-part-xxxv-thirty-five/" target="_blank">What causes heart disease part XXXV (part thirty-five)</a>, 08/19/2017, The beginning of the end—bringing it all together. Point 1. Lots of things seem to cause CVD, but there are so many that it is clear that there must be some underlying factor that ties them all together. Point 2. The evidence base is flawed and extremely complicated. It's impossible to control for all the possible and known factors, but you can't just throw out research that contradicts your prejudices or dismiss data as a paradox. Nor can you ignore the effects of conflict of and vested interest on studies. And by the way, peer review doesn't fix it. Studies are flawed, and judging them is very difficult. One result is that many of us let our preconceived notions and biases color our interpretations. The first step to fixing those biases is to know and acknowledge them. Here's what Kendrick says about his biases, "I am almost entirely anti-statin. I am not a great believer in blood pressure lowering – at least not at current levels. I do not believe in the cholesterol hypothesis, and I think that the anti-saturated fat dogma is completely bonkers and has no evidence to support it – at all. I believe that salt is good for and, in most people, protects against CVD. I believe that a high carbohydrate, low-fat diet is utterly bonkers—especially in those with diabetes. And suchlike. In short, I believe that almost everything we are told is good for you, is bad for you, and vice-versa. With the exception of smoking (bad) and exercise (good)."</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2017/09/05/what-causes-heart-disease-part-xxxvi-part-thirty-six/" target="_blank">What causes heart disease part XXXVI (part thirty-six)</a>, 09/05/2017, Continuing to sum up. <span style="background-color: #f9cb9c;">This is a really important post.</span> Remember that atherosclerotic plaques develop only in large arteries, and never develop in veins. Why is that though? There are many possibilities, but most can be rejected easily. As "...plaques develop, you find that they most often occur at [points of] maximum biomechanical stress." A research paper observed this, but then attributed it to a leaky endothelium permitting LDL to pass through into the arterial wall. But wait, why in the world would an intact endothelium do this? Bottom line is that it doesn't unless the endothelium is damaged, which brings us back to square 1; CVD does not start with cholesterol, but rather with a damaged endothelium. There are people who believe that cholesterol can force its way through undamaged endothelium by various mechanisms. Kendrick proposes "a thought experiment if you like. Why would endothelial cells allow LDL to pass through them, to then allow LDL to be oxidised in the arterial wall behind? This process serves no physiological purpose, other than to kill you from cardiovascular disease! The idea that endothelial cells simply cannot prevent this from happening is, frankly, bonkers. ...the idea that an endothelial cell cannot prevent a relatively massive LDL molecule from entering the side facing the bloodstream, then passing straight through, then ejecting itself out the other side, is complete nonsense." Quick summary: "1: It is impossible for LDL to pass straight through a living endothelial cell. 2: Endothelial cells are tightly bound together, and will not allow anything to pass between them." He talks about fenestrations in capillaries which do allow nutrients to pass through the blood vessels, and how the brain manufactures its own cholesterol for brain cells, (it doesn't get it from the blood) as further evidence of difficulty in penetrating the endothelium. Finally, he discusses the vasa vasorum, which are vessels that feed blood and other nutrients into the large veins and arteries. There is no need for the endothelium to leak; the vessels get everything they need from the vasa vasorum. At this point, you "...realise that the cholesterol hypothesis, whilst it sounds superficially reasonable, requires mechanisms of action that just do not exist." </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2017/09/16/what-causes-heart-disease-part-xxxvii-part-thirty-seven/" target="_blank">What causes heart disease part XXXVII (Part thirty-seven)</a>, 09/16/2017, Begin with the end in mind. What is the end-member of CVD? "The final event in cardiovascular disease is, in most cases, pretty much accepted... The formation of a blood clot." There's a ton of documentation that anything that reduces blood clotting also reduces CVD risk, while anything that increases clotting increases CVD risk. But the official party line was that the development of the blockage in the first case was not related to the final clotting event. This just doesn't seem right. Why in the world do you need two separate processes for this when one will suffice? The clotting system is extremely important and incredibly complex. Because of its importance, it is always ready to go from zero to 100 at a moment's notice. But it also has to be able to stop before it gets carried away. His analogy is like having one foot mashing the accelerator to the floor while the other is standing on the brake. The most powerful clotting mechanism is the "tissue factor," which sits under the endothelium. Exposure of blood to TF sets up a clot instantaneously. This makes sense--bleeding kills if unchecked. The only way a clot forms in arteries is damage to the endothelium. Once it forms, enzymes in the blood moderate the growth, and begin to break the clot down. But it's not like a scab on your skin. Obviously, if a scab broke off in an artery it would cause damage downstream. Rather, once the clot forms, moderates, and begins to clear, your body grows a new layer of endothelium over the old clot. The new cells are created by endothelial progenitor cells, which actually have a function in addition to the endothelium. They can also convert themselves into macrophages, which clean away tiny pieces of the old "scab" and carry them to the lymph system for elimination. He calls this process healing, but others call it inflammation. Believing that inflammation causes CVD is like believing that firemen cause fires. Another note of importance is that one of the most stubborn constituents of the clot is a factor called apolipoprotein(a) or Lp(a). It is almost identical to LDL particles but with a single molecule difference that makes all the difference and makes it resistant to breaking down. He contemplates that the Lp(a) content may be a part of the belief that cholesterol is a problem, when in fact, it is a very similar molecule. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2017/09/24/what-causes-heart-disease-part-xxxviii-part-thirty-eight/" target="_blank">What causes heart disease part XXXVIII (part thirty-eight)</a>, 09/24/2017, What is this biomechanical stress? However you define it, it is clear that the plaques develop at spots of transition or change within the arteries, and at those spots, the initial damage happens to the endothelium. Here are some factors that are known to damage the endothelium: Smoking, air pollution, diabetes, cocaine use, dehydration, infections/sepsis, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), lead, stress hormones, avastin, omeprazole, Cushing’s disease, Kawasaki’s disease. They also are all identified causes of CVD. A young woman with lupus has an increased CVD risk of 5000%. Sickle cell anemia is even worse. Not only does it increase clotting, but by itself damages the endothelium. One of the challenges with this series is that in order to demonstrate how these completely disparate causes are related, you have to understand and identify their role within the underlying process. "There is no point in saying that, yes, they all cause heart disease, and that’s that; just add them to the list. There is a requirement to fit them within a single process, and it must make sense. It also has to be supported by the facts—as far as that is possible. Equally, there is no point in saying CVD is ‘multifactorial’, which is the normal defence of the mainstream when pressed on why many people, with no risk factors for CVD, still get CVD. The word “multifactorial” explains nothing; it is just an escape route for those pressed to explain the many ‘paradoxes’ or refutations that keep on appearing." Where are we now then, "...demonstrate[d] that the trigger factor for CVD is damage to the endothelium. If you don’t damage the endothelium nothing else happens. The damage happens at well-recognised places where the biomechanical stress is at its greatest. Which means that, with no biomechanical stress, there can be no atherosclerotic plaques. However, it takes more than just biomechanical stress. You also have to have at least one extra factor present to trigger endothelial dysfunction. " See you in the next post. Same bat-time, same bat-channel.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2017/10/09/what-causes-heart-disease-part-xxxix-thirty-nine/" target="_blank">What causes heart disease part XXXIX (thirty nine)</a>, 10/09/2017, There are four types of myocardial infarction: A myocardial infarction with no obstructive arterial disease, A myocardial infarction caused by stress, with no obstructive arterial disease, myocardial infarction that happens weeks after the thrombus forms, the ‘classic’ myocardial infarction with thrombus formation followed rapidly by infarction. This "...leads to the inevitable conclusion that something else must be going on. Perhaps it is true that the infarction, due to extreme stress and build-up of lactic acid, does come first. Then, as a consequence, the clot forms in the artery." But now we have to ..."dig even deeper, to find the man that isn’t there. Banksy, a man who paints on walls, is never seen, but we know he was there because, otherwise, you can’t explain the painting."</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2017/10/27/what-causes-heart-disease-part-xl-part-forty/" target="_blank">What causes heart disease part XL (part forty)</a>, 10/27/2017, On the importance of reducing stress in your life and having close family and community ties. France and Scotland have similar diets (Scotland is slightly lower in saturated fat and vegetables) and similar BMI and blood pressure The French smoke more and exercise less. Rates of diabetes and total cholesterol levels are identical. If you enter all the data into a CVD Risk calculator they come out very similar in terms of risk. Yet the reality is that Scots have five times the rate of CVD as the French. This is typically called the French paradox. However, <span style="background-color: #fff2cc;">there is no such thing as a paradox, just bad hypotheses.</span> Ad hoc theories say the French drink more wine or eat more garlic. This is pure horse pucky. Kendrick says the French paradox should actually be called the "<em style="background-color: white; border: 0px currentcolor; color: #444444; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">French refutation of the diet-heart hypothesis and the LDL hypothesis, and all other hypotheses about cardiovascular disease you can think of."</em><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px currentcolor; color: #444444; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span new="" roman="" serif="" times=""><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px currentcolor; color: #444444; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">One difference is not in what they eat, but rather how they eat. Scots tend to treat mealtimes as refueling stops on the way to the next thing, whereas the French "</span><span style="color: #444444;">Time is taken, food is appreciated, families tend to eat together..." So Kendrick studied the effect of stress on metabolism. Cushing's disease is a disorder where stress hormones are pushed high by the adrenal glands. People with Cushing's are in perpetual fight or flight state. It also increases CVD risk by 600%. Time after time, we see high-stress events, like social and political upheaval followed by increases in CVD. <span style="background-color: #fce5cd;">It seems that reduction of stress, and close family and community links may be the silver bullet.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2017/11/12/what-causes-cvd-part-xl1-part-forty-one/" target="_blank">What causes CVD part XL1 (Part forty-one)</a>, 11/12/2017, Discussion of the ORBITA study. Stents don't work. BMJ article with a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial comparing an operation to emplace stents with an operation that does nothing. Wow! Here are the results. "<em>‘Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is not significantly better than a placebo procedure in improving exercise capacity or symptoms even in patients with severe coronary stenosis, research has found." </em>To be clear, this was about stents in a non-acute situation. Years ago, the standard of care was to graft a vein where there was a blockage in the coronary artery. As with stents, before the procedure was common and became the standard of care, there was virtually no research on efficacy. "Common sense " dictates that open artery = good, closing artery = bad. However, there was no actual research demonstrating that their preferred solution did much beyond lining the pockets of the medical establishment. Doctors used phrases like "<em> “You have a time bomb in your chest” and its variant, “You are a walking time bomb.” Or, </em>“...This narrowed coronary is a widow maker.” <i>[E4E comment: I questioned the use of a specific blood pressure medication, and the cardiologist said, "High blood pressure is the silent killer." What a wanker.]</i> And if patients wish to delay an intervention, a series of fear-mongering expressions hasten their resolve to proceed: “We must not lose any time by playing Hamlet.” Or, “You are living on borrowed time.” Or, “You are in luck—a slot is available on the operating schedule.” Maiming words can infantilize patients, so they regard doctors as parental figures to guide them to some safe harbour." Dr. Kendrick ends the post with this, "Those who have read my endless blog on the causes of on CVD will know I have long been highly sceptical of stenting as the answer to anything very much. Other than the removal of large sums of money from person A, to hospital B, and interventional cardiologist C. Why does it not work? How can it possibly not work? Because the heart is not simply a pump, arteries are not simply pipes, and humans are not inanimate objects whereby our function, or lack thereof, is purely dependant on some form of medical or surgical intervention. Thus endeth the lesson on stenting."</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2017/12/09/what-causes-heart-disease-part-xlii-forty-two/" target="_blank">What Causes Heart Disease XLII</a>, 12/09/2017, More on stress/strain. Stress and other mental health issues drive numbers like a 1300% increase in risk of CVD, whereas factors like diet and cholesterol change risk by 10%. "Chronic stress → dysfunction of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis (HPA-axis) → sympathetic overdrive + raised stress hormones → metabolic syndrome (raised BP, raised blood sugar, raised clotting factors, raised cortisol, raised all sorts of things) → endothelial damage + increased blood clotting → plaque formation and death from acute clot formation." Where should we be focusing?"And if you want to close this loop further, stress also increases LDL levels, in some studies by over 60%<span new="" roman="" serif="" times=""><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;">. So, when you see raised LDL, in association with increased CVD, it is not the LDL causing the CVD. It is stress, causing both."</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2017/12/29/what-causes-heart-disease-part-43/" target="_blank">What causes heart disease part 43</a>, 12/29/2017, What is stress? You have to separate stress from a person's body response to stress (strain). Some people have little response to stressful events, while others can have a massive response to seemingly minor events. "The hypothesis here is reasonably straightforward. It is as follows. Long-term negative stressors (or one overwhelming acute event) can create damage to the neurohormonal system that coordinates the physiological reaction to strain. This, in turn, has negative physiological effects that can lead to serious disease e.g. CVD, or diabetes, or both." When you go into fight or flight mode, "The blood pressure goes up, sweat glands are activated, blood clotting factors are released..." Measurement of stress hormones is tricky, with clear diurnal patterns putting noise into the data. Per Bjorntorp, a Swedish researcher demonstrated a strong linkage between stress hormones and metabolic syndrome (which in turn links to CVD). It turns out Cushing's disease in people pumps lots of stress hormones into people, and those people have much higher rates of Metabolic syndrome and CVD. We do not give people cortisol, but corticosteroids have many of the same effects on hormones. Guess what. If you take corticosteroids long-term, "The risk of CVD is increased by, up to, 600%."</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2018/01/12/what-causes-heart-disease-part-44/" target="_blank">What Causes Heart Disease part 44</a>, 01/12/2018, How to remain healthier and live longer, Actions that reduce CVD risk. Taking a statin for 30 years gives you a statistical extra 24 days of life—best case. Regular exercise gives you an extra four and a half years. Which makes exercise at least fifty-four times more effective than statins. The only CV medicines that make a major difference are anti-coagulants (blood thinners) such as warfarin, rivaroxaban, and apixaban. <span style="background-color: #fff2cc;">So here is the prescription: Exercise, Stop smoking, get sunshine and enjoy it. "These three things alone can add around sixteen years to your healthy lifespan."</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2018/01/27/what-causes-heart-disease-part-forty-five/" target="_blank">What Causes Heart Disease part forty-five</a>, 1/27/2018, There are periodic studies that show that taking vitamins is bad. There is little economic benefit in studying the effects of vitamins. They're all off-patent. Optimal doses are also unclear; typically, we know the minimum dose to prevent disease. Nobody died in 2010 from taking vitamins; OTOH, 328,000 people died from prescribed medicines. <span style="background-color: #fff2cc;">Supplements to consider include Vitamin K2 5µg, Thiamine 7mg, Folic acid 7µg, Potassium 50mg, Magnesium 50mg, L-arginine 600mg, L-carnitine 50mg, L-citrulline 7mg, Co-enzyme Q10 3mg, then add Vitamin D and Vitamin C and multiply everything by 4x per day.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2018/01/29/what-causes-heart-disease-part-forty-five-b-an-addendum/" target="_blank">What Causes Heart Disease part forty-five B - an addendum</a>, 1/29/2018, Oops. A new paper just came out about Magnesium. It is much more important than he believed. Magnesium deficiency is quite common and difficult to test for. -zole drugs are a culprit in reducing magnesium.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2018/02/14/what-causes-heart-disease-part-46/" target="_blank">What causes heart disease part 46</a>, 2/14/20018, The mind and poor social interactions. Negative stressors drive CVD significantly. One paper found that people with significant money worries are 13 times more likely to suffer a heart attack. Various mental illnesses reduce life expectancy by 10-20 years."When your mind goes wrong, your body follows." Strong social connections add 10-15 years to life expectancy.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2018/03/13/what-causes-heart-disease-part-forty-seven/" target="_blank">What causes heart disease part forty-seven</a>, 3/13/2018, Raised cholesterol is not a factor for stroke. Statins reduce the risk of both heart attacks and stroke. Therefore, the cholesterol hypothesis is not correct. "...the beneficial effect of statins on the risk of stroke, flatly contradicts the cholesterol hypothesis." </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2018/03/22/what-causes-heart-disease-part-forty-eight-48/" target="_blank">What causes heart disease part forty-eight (48)</a>, 3/22/2018, Lead causes endothelial damage! Chelation therapy, which he had written off as "woo-woo medicine," actually works. Thalidomide and Avastin both hamper the generation of endothelial cells/angiogenesis, both are used to treat cancer, and Avastin leads to a higher incidence of CVD. There is no evidence that Thalidomide does. There is a <a href="http://www.bloodjournal.org/content/99/12/4525.full?sso-checked=true" target="_blank">paper</a> that studies this, but he hasn't figured it out yet.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2018/04/09/statins-and-amyotrophic-lateral-sclerosis" target="_blank">Statins and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis</a>, 4/9/2018, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, aka Lou Gehrig's disease, affects 2-3 people per 100,000 in the US and Europe. It is a disease of the nervous system, in which, although you remain alert and able to think clearly, the ability to control your muscles deteriorates until you die of suffocation. A recent paper in the journal Drug Safety indicates that statins can greatly increase the risk of developing ALS. The researchers established an association, but the association was so large that it is believed to represent a causal relationship. The "safest" statin reported was linked to an 800% increase in ALS (so that 2-3 number would increase to about 20). The worst statin reported was Lovastatin, with an increase of over 10,000% (the 2-3 number goes to 200-300/100,000). In terms of risk to an individual, the odds are still very greatly in your favor that you will not develop ALS, even with statin use. For Lovastatin, the ratio fell from about 1 person per 50,000 to 1 in 500. However, given what Kendrick believes to be the relatively low efficacy of statins in reducing total mortality, is this a risk you want to take? This new information emphasizes the absolute criticality of cholesterol to the human body. There are signals in data that ALS is increasing in a number of countries, but the data is not reliable, as few countries accurately track ALS in mortality statistics.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2018/05/12/very-high-ldl-and-no-cardiovascular-disease-at-all/" target="_blank">Very high LDL and no cardiovascular disease – at all</a>, 5/12/2018, We seem to be past the main series on what causes heart disease, but Dr. Kendrick continues to put out interesting analysis of studies. This one is about a case study of a guy who has familial hypercholesterolemia--a genetic condition that drives very high blood cholesterol. He starts with a discussion of black swans. Essentially, if you believe that high cholesterol is the key driver of heart disease, the presence of someone with very high cholesterol and no heart disease should make you think about your hypothesis. Here's what he says: "Unfortunately, but predictably, the authors of the paper have not questioned the LDL approach. Instead, they fully accept that LDL does cause CVD. So, this man must represent ‘a paradox’. They have phrased it thus:<em>"‘Further efforts are underway to interrogate why our patient has <strong>escaped the damaging consequences of familial hypercholesterolemia</strong> and could inform future efforts in drug discovery and therapy development.’ </em>"To rephrase their statement. We know that high LDL causes CVD. This man has extremely high LDL, with no CVD, so something <em>must be protecting him</em>. I have an alternative, and much simpler explanation: <strong><em>LDL does not cause CVD</em></strong>. My explanation has the advantage that it fits the facts of this case perfectly, with no need to start looking for any alternative explanation."</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2018/05/29/eggs-are-good-for-you-who-knew/" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">Eggs are Good for You - who knew!?</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">, 5/28/2018, A little off the CHD track, but relevant to cholesterol. A large study of 500,000 people with this conclusion. </span><em style="font-family: inherit;">‘Among Chinese adults, a moderate level of egg consumption</em><i><span new="" roman="" serif="" times=""> (</span></i></span><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><span new="" roman="" serif="" times="">egg consumption (up to less than 1 egg/day) was significantly associated with a lower risk of CVD, largely independent of other risk factors.</span></i></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2018/06/15/what-causes-heart-disease-part-47-nearly-there/" target="_blank">What causes heart disease? – part 49 (nearly there)</a>, 6/15/2018, Flashback to university when a lecturer said that ‘<em>cholesterol cannot get past the endothelium.</em>’ She also said (heretically) <em>‘In this talk, I have concentrated mainly on the factors that may be involved in the progression of the early, low-lipid gelatinous lesion into the typical fibrous plaque with lipid-rich centre that is generally accepted as the significant lesion in occlusive vascular disease <strong>and have tried to emphasize the key role that may be played by fibrin</strong>.</em>’ He talks about how heart attacks can happen whether or not there is a clot and how sometimes, even with a clot, the attack doesn't happen. Finally, he recaps his main hypothesis—that plaques occur when the endothelial damage process occurs faster than the healing process, lists 14 causes of CHD that have nothing to do with cholesterol, then tells about a case of sickle cell anemia in a child.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2018/07/03/why-saturated-fat-cannot-raise-cholesterol-levels-ldl-levels/" target="_blank">Why saturated fat cannot raise cholesterol levels</a> (LDL levels), 7/3/2018, The dietary goals of the United States (remember the food pyramid were premature and demonized dietary saturated fat (SFA) and cholesterol (eggs). George McGovern famously stated,<span style="font-family: inherit;"> "</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“Senators don’t have the luxury that the research scientist does of waiting until every last shred of evidence is in</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;">." This is despite the fact, that even Ancel Keys had stated unequivocally that dietary cholesterol had no effect on cholesterol in your body. The cholesterol guidance was finally corrected in 2015, almost 50 years later. And let's be crystal clear. The original guidelines were not based on the best science of the day about cholesterol. So they pivoted to saturated fat as the cause of increased cholesterol. Malcolm has something to say about that. It turns out that dietary fat goes from your gut, into the bloodstream, and then directly into your cells. It is not converted into cholesterol. Cholesterol is manufactured in your liver and sent out into the body where it is needed via LDLs (technically VLDLs). As the LDLs lose the cholesterol molecules, they get recycled by the liver. So what increases VLDL production (and therefore LDLs)? Carbohydrates!!! "</span></span><span style="color: #444444;">If you eat more carbohydrates than your body needs, or can store, the liver converts the excess (primarily fructose and glucose) into fat in the liver. This process is called de novo lipogenesis (DNL). The fats that are synthesized are saturated fats, and only saturated fats. Once synthesized, they are then packed into VLDLs and sent out of the liver." There is no mechanism to convert saturated fat into cholesterol. There is a confounder. In studies, they have shown that replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) from plants lowers LDLs. He believes it's due to the presence of stanols in the PUFAs. Stanols are essentially plant cholesterol. The researchers committed a cardinal sin. They changed two variables (dropped (SFA and increased PUFA). They then attributed the result to the SFA. It all gets somewhat complicated, but there is little or no reason to believe that SFA increases cardiovascular risk. There is a lot packed into this post. Read it.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2018/07/23/what-causes-heart-disease-part-fifty/" target="_blank">What causes heart disease - Part fifty</a>, 7/23/2018, Malcolm goes through the criteria that help us understand causation from analytical and epidemiological studies. The postulates for lab work are (Robert Koch, 1882): The microorganism must be found in abundance in all organisms suffering from the disease but should not be found in healthy organisms, The microorganism must be isolated from a diseased organism and grown in pure culture, The cultured microorganism should cause disease when introduced into a healthy organism, The microorganism must be re-isolated from the inoculated, diseased experimental host and identified as being identical to the original specific causative agent. As well as Bradford Hill's Cannons [sic] of Causation (1965). from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bradford_Hill_criteria" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>. Strength (effect size): A small association does not mean that there is not a causal effect, though the larger the association, the more likely that it is causal. Consistency (reproducibility): Consistent findings observed by different persons in different places with different samples strengthens the likelihood of an effect. Specificity: Causation is likely if there is a very specific population at a specific site and disease with no other likely explanation. The more specific an association between a factor and an effect is, the bigger the probability of a causal relationship. Temporality: The effect has to occur after the cause (and if there is an expected delay between the cause and expected effect, then the effect must occur after that delay). Biological gradient: Greater exposure should generally lead to greater incidence of the effect. However, in some cases, the mere presence of the factor can trigger the effect. In other cases, an inverse proportion is observed: greater exposure leads to lower incidence. Plausibility: A plausible mechanism between cause and effect is helpful (but Hill noted that knowledge of the mechanism is limited by current knowledge). Coherence: Coherence between epidemiological and laboratory findings increases the likelihood of an effect. However, Hill noted that "... lack of such [laboratory] evidence cannot nullify the epidemiological effect on associations". Experiment: "Occasionally, it is possible to appeal to experimental evidence". Analogy: The effect of similar factors may be considered. Nothing is black or white, but very few of the criteria above apply to the standard factors normally cited for CHD. The "flat paradigm" says that disease can be multi-factorial, but this is probably too granular. Rather, look at the underlying process involved. CHD is not from smoking in one person, lupus in another, and sickle cell in a third. All of those factors trigger a specific underlying process.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2018/08/06/what-causes-heart-disease-part-51-athero-thrombosis/" target="_blank">What causes heart disease part 51 – ‘Athero-thrombosis’</a>, 8/6/2018 - Recap: The mainstream view is that cardiovascular disease is caused by two completely different and unrelated processes. The first process is the development of plaque, where cholesterol pokes its nose under your endothelium; the second is development of a blood clot on top of that plaque, perhaps from something inside the plaque, or like a boil bursting or something like that. Malcolm HATES this view. It creates a lot of issues and complications in looking for causes and cures of heart disease. "For one thing, I do not like having to invoke two completely essentially unrelated processes to explain a single disease. Mainly though, even if it wasn’t deliberately designed to protect the ‘LDL-hypothesis,’ that is exactly what it does." Most atherosclerotic plaques contain cholesterol crystals. But those crystals can only come from red blood cells, not from LDL. So "Repeated blood clotting occurs first, followed by intra-plaque rupture." This is the opposite of the mainstream view, where the blood clot is just some end member state. Thus heart disease should really be described as thrombo-atherosis, not athero-thrombosis. "Blood clotting is not simply the final event in the CVD. It is the <em>only</em> event, and it is how atherosclerosis starts, grows and eventually kills you. Or, to put it another way, there are not two processes in cardiovascular disease, there is only one."</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2018/08/16/what-causes-heart-disease-part-52/" target="_blank">What causes heart disease part 52</a>, 8/16/2018 - The beginning of atherosclerotic plaque development. The idea that cholesterol simply "leaks" past the endothelium has never made any sense. A partial list of issues: 1. If it is leaking due to a pressure gradient, why is it not seen in all arteries, but rather only in some places? 2. Why does LDL never leak into vein walls? 3. Larger arteries have their own blood supply; why don't those vessels have the same problems as the arteries themselves? 4. <b>Endothelium is</b> seen everywhere to be <b>impermeable to cholesterol</b> as exemplified by the blood-brain barrier. The tight junctions in the endothelium prevents molecules and ions from penetrating. Cholesterol doesn't stand a chance. 5. It is possible to get past the endothelial layer if the endothelium allows it through transcytosis. "The idea that an endothelial cell would be programmed to absorb LDL from the bloodstream, then actively transport it through itself, then deposit it in the artery wall behind – for no reason whatsoever – defies all laws of biology and physiology..." He could go on but stops here. It's sufficient. The counter-argument has always been, "well the plaques contain cholesterol, so they must have leaked through the endothelium." To which Malcolm says, "...yes, after the endothelium was damaged by other factors." One argument against the clotting hypothesis is that the early stage of atherosclerosis, i.e. the fatty streaks are not related to clotting. He presents evidence that the fatty streaks are a completely different phenomenon not related to CVD. <em>Fatty streaks do not turn into plaques.</em> <em>"...fatty streaks exist, but these ‘lesions’ are not the things that become atherosclerotic plaques. Plaques form in a completely different way."</em> But, until the mid-90s, nobody knew about the existence of the epithelial progenitor cells, which "scab" over damaged endothelium, encrusting whatever is in there. This gave the LDL hypothesis time to take root and become the leading paradigm. "They couldn’t explain how massive molecules that are normally found in the bloodstream, could get inside the artery wall. So, they were defeated by the facile, impossible, ridiculous, LDL hypothesis. A great pity, because the encrustation theory explains what the LDL hypothesis cannot." Even statins, when they work, "...they increase nitric oxide synthesis in endothelial cells, and nitric oxide protects the endothelium, stimulates the growth of endothelial progenitor cells, and [NO] is also the most powerful anticoagulant agent known to nature."</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2018/08/21/what-cause-heart-disease-part-53-diabetes/" target="_blank">What causes heart disease part 53</a> – diabetes, 8/21/2018 - Diabetes increases CVD risk 3-500%. This does not make any real sense at all in the cholesterol theory. So how does high blood sugar cause endothelial damage? We go to another level of complexity now. Lining the endothelium is a layer of molecules called the glycocalyx. The glycocalyx is composed of hairlike strands of protein and sugars bound together (it's about 1 micrometer thick, so very thin). You know that slimy feel that fish have? That's their glycocalyx. Of course, there's a paper, ‘<em>Loss of Endothelial Glycocalyx during acute hyperglycemia coincides with endothelial dysfunction and coagulation activation in vivo.</em>’ The function of the glycocalyx: It protects the underlying endothelium from damage, Maintains the endothelial barrier function, Acts as a mechanical sensor for stress/shear stress, Mediates nitric oxide (NO) release, Anticoagulant (stops blood clotting) – many anticoagulant factors live here, including NO, Prevents adhesion of white blood cells and platelets. So this is what diabetes does. Still holding together.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2018/08/31/what-causes-heart-disease-part-54/" target="_blank">What causes heart disease part 54</a>, 8/31/2018 - Health research is hard because of the "First do no harm" dictum. So the focus has always been to test interventions that will help make people better, not prove that something causes harm. This is a really good thing, although inconvenient in terms of demonstrating causality. That's part of the reason we rely on epidemiological studies to help us. Bradford Hill laid out the nine criteria to help determine the information that can be extracted from those studies and their validity. (See item 59 above for more detail). Sometimes we have a natural experiment that can be used to extract meaning. The most familiar example is the impact of smoking on people. There are also examples of drugs thought to be beneficial actually causing unintended harm. Thalidomide is a common example. There's another one quite relevant to this topic though—proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). These are drugs like omeprazole and other "-zole" medications created to help prevent heartburn. It turns out that PPIs inhibit NO synthesis. If you believe Kendrick's hypothesis of heart disease, you would expect therefore to see heart disease go up with the usage of PPIs. And it turns out that PPIs double heart disease risk. (See number 23 above). There are other drugs that have far worse impacts. Avastin, the generic name is Bevacizumab is a case in point. It is a vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor (VEGF-inhibitors). Its impact is in preventing or inhibiting repair of blood vessels as they try to build a new endothelial layer, as well as slowing the healing by inhibiting the macrophages that heal the damage site. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) were once thought to be useful only in the development of the fetus, but more recently have been found to have a role in healing arteries as well. Arterial adverse events 2.40, Cardiac ischemia (heart attack) 5.16, Cerebral ischemia (stroke) 12.39, Venous adverse events 1.37, Bleeding 2.96, Arterial hypertension 4.81. So the 5.16 on heart attacks means you have a 5.16 times increased probability of a heart attack. A 3% probability goes to 15%+. Avastin easily satisfies all of the Bradford Hill criteria. But here's the thing—Avastin can increase CVD, only if Kenrick's hypothesis of heart disease is correct. It has no impact on LDL or any other cholesterol. <i>So Avastin becomes the black swan in this. "The blackest of black swans. An agent, that is perfectly designed to create endothelial mayhem, causes CVD, with no explanation available within the LDL/cholesterol hypothesis."</i></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2018/09/17/what-causes-heart-disease-part-55-albumin/" target="_blank">What causes heart disease, part 55 - albumin</a>, 9/17/2018 - Maybe you have seen albumin listed on your blood tests and wondered what that was about. You know those pictures of starving children with their bellies distended? That is one of the impacts of having low serum albumin. It also happens to alcoholics because as liver damage increases, they are unable to produce sufficient albumin. There's also a link between albumin and CVD. Albumin is a protein that circulates in the blood and, among other things, helps maintain the glycocalyx. Deficiencies in albumin are a causal factor in CVD. <em style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">’This study unequivocally confirms the important association between SA (serum albumin) and individuals with chronic stable CAD’</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;">. There may not be too much you can do to raise your serum albumin, but eating sufficient protein is a start." </span>At this point, however, the main point that I want to make here – again – is that, once you start to understand CVD as a process that is triggered by endothelial damage, you can start to look at the research on CVD in a completely different light. You can make associations where, using the LDL hypothesis, none exist. It also makes sense."</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2018/09/23/what-causes-heart-disease-part-56-a-new-paper/" target="_blank">What causes heart disease part 56 – a new paper</a>, 9/23/2018 <span style="font-family: inherit;">- The paper is called ‘<em style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Inborn coagulation factors are more important cardiovascular risk factors than high LDL-cholesterol in familial hypercholesterolemia</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;">.’ </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;">You can see it <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306987718304729" target="_blank">here</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;">. It will be free access for a very limited time, so go fast. I can see only the abstract, not sure if I'm doing something wrong. Anyway, the summary is that people with Familial hypercholesterolemia live as long as others on average, LDL-C in FH people with and without heart disease is the same, and there is questionable benefit from cholesterol-lowering drugs (statins). Dr. Kendrick and Uffe Ravsnikov are both authors, as well as Michel de Logeril and David M. Diamond.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2018/10/11/what-causes-heart-disease-part-57/" target="_blank">What causes heart disease – part 57</a>, 10/11/2018 - Blood pressure as a cause of CVD is complicated. The average is not the same as "normal." Mortality calculators let you take the systolic down to 90, with CVD risk decreasing at every step. However, below 90 you have hypotension, so exactly 90 is the best level. Lol. CVD risk from blood pressure rises, but only very slowly until a systolic of 160--then it increases faster. It is clear that blood pressure is a cause of arterial damage. Blood vessels in normally low-pressure areas like the lungs can develop atherosclerosis if blood pressure is elevated. Only blood vessels in high-pressure areas develop atherosclerosis. A 2000 paper called 'There is a non-linear relationship between mortality and blood pressure' concludes that the reported linearity between blood pressure and mortality is not in the data, but rather in the analysis of the data. EmotionsForEngineers <a href="http://www.emotionsforengineers.com/2014/08/blood-pressure-e4e-view.html" target="_blank">wrote on blood pressure in 2014</a>. We'll see what the next installment holds.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2018/11/01/what-causes-heart-disease-part-58-blood-pressure/" target="_blank">What causes heart disease part 58 – blood pressure</a>, 11/1/2018 - The cause of high blood pressure is mostly not known by doctors <i>(e4e comment: <a href="http://www.emotionsforengineers.com/2014/08/blood-pressure-e4e-view.html" target="_blank">Apparently you have to be an engineer to understand pressure in a tube</a>)</i>. But Malcolm seems to be on it. He focuses on the narrowing of the pipes, I suspect there's also a stiffening component as well—pulses into a balloon will just expand the balloon, whereas in lead, it would cause hammering. One issue that high blood pressure does cause is the enlarging of the two ventricles, which can lead to congestive heart failure (a completely different animal than what Malcolm has been discussing in this series). He discusses causality. He says that cardiovascular disease probably causes hypertension rather than the reverse and talks about the biochemical basis for that view. The issue is that lowering blood pressure may lower blood flow to places where it is needed. "...dealing with the elderly can turn into a battle between the heart and the kidneys. Get one under control, and the other one goes off." He has liked ACE inhibitors for hypertension control in the past because they also increase NO synthesis. However, there is evidence that they can increase the risk of lung disease.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2018/11/27/what-causes-heart-disease-part-59" target="_blank">What causes heart disease – part 59</a>, 11/27/2018 - Summary of everything published to date from Dr. Kendrick. Thrombogenic theory vs. LDL/cholesterol hypothesis: "I will confine myself to one simple point. For the LDL hypothesis to be correct, it requires that LDL can travel past the lining of the artery, the endothelial cells, and into the artery wall behind. This is considered the starting point for atherosclerotic plaques to form." and that is impossible. Damage to the arterial wall must be the starting point. Most mainstream doctors are okay here. The next step is where divergence starts. It's not the LDL, it's the clotting. "If you damage the endothelium, the first thing that happens is that a blood clot forms at that point." Then, "most of the blood clot is shaved down in size by plasmin, an enzyme designed to break up (lyse) blood clots. Then a new layer of endothelium grows over the top of the remaining blood clot, and in this way, the clot becomes incorporated into the artery wall." "Every step of CVD is due to various aspects of blood clotting. You damage the artery wall, a blood clot forms, which is then incorporated into the artery wall. A plaque starts then grows. This description of how CVD starts and develops is the process that I believe to be correct." A few provisos: 1. Endothelial damage is always happening. This is normal. When the rate of damage exceeds the body's ability to repair, problems start. 2. There is a very long list of processes that can cause damage to be greater than repair, affecting either or both sides of the equation. This leads to another long list of blood factors that impact the two sides of the equation, including high fibrinogen, lipoprotein a (lp(a)), dehydration, blood sugar triglycerides, etc. Next, there is a list of substances that prevent new endothelial cells from being created. And factors that prevent the clearing of the clot that develops behind the new layer of endothelium. Interestingly, some anti-inflammatory drugs can cause CVD. Evidence is that inflammation is not a cause of CVD, but rather a response to CVD. In summary, "The LDL hypothesis is nonsense, it is wrong, and it does not remotely fit with any other factors known to cause CVD. The thrombogenic theory, on the other hand, fits with almost everything known about CVD." "CVD has no single, specific, cause. It should, instead, be seen as a process whereby damage exceeds repair, causing plaques to start developing, and grow – with a final, fatal, blood clot causing the terminal event. The next blog will be a review of the things that you can do to reduce your risk of CVD."</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2019/01/02/what-causes-heart-disease-part-60-prediction/" target="_blank">What causes heart disease part 60 – prediction</a>, 1/2/2019 - I recently went to my internist who told me that according to their online calculators, I should be on a statin. My total cholesterol was 181, HDL was 45, and triglycerides were about 75. He admitted that those numbers looked fine, but the computer says... I said I wasn't interested. That was all very timely, as Dr. Kendrick has written a post specifically about online calculators. The American College of Cardiology has a calculator, and so does the UK health system. The American calculator overstates the risk of a cardiovascular event by 5-6 times, so if it tells you 10%, you're closer to 2%. And by the way, if you are over 60, it WILL say you are at high risk and recommend a statin. Although the UK calculator contains more factors, it is similarly inaccurate. UK researchers ran a regression study of factors that correlate with CVD. These are the top ten in order: 1. </span><span style="color: #444444;">Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (usually a result of smoking), 2. </span>Oral corticosteroid prescribed, 3. Age, 4. Severe mental illness, 5. Ethnicity South Asian, 6. Immunosuppressant prescribed, 7. Socio-economic-status quintile 3, 8. Socio-economic status quintile 4, 9. Chronic Kidney Disease, 10. Socio-economic status quintile 2. <i>Notice that cholesterol is not in the top 10. Total cholesterol is at 25, systolic blood pressure is at 29, and LDL ("bad") cholesterol is at 46 out of 48 factors considered.</i> Bottom line: Those calculators are useless. He discusses arterial calcification as a measure of what has happened in the past, but it has limited predictive accuracy. "What can the average person do to shift those odds in your favour? If you have read this blog from start to finish, I would imagine that you already know. If not, I am going to tell you next time. I am going to tell you how to change the odds, but I am unable to tell you how to get them to zero."</li>
<li><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2019/01/15/what-causes-heart-disease-part-61-strokes/" target="_blank">What causes heart disease part 61 – strokes</a>, 1/15/2019 - There are three main causes of strokes: Atrial fibrillation, blood clot, and a burst blood vessel in the brain (hemorrhagic). Atrial fibrillation is related to electrical malfunctioning of the heart, causing blood to sit a little too long, which allows a clot to form, which then blocks blood to the brain. Hemorrhagic stroke is when a blood vessel in the brain bursts. Neither of these is related to cardiovascular disease of this ongoing discussion. A blood clot is. This is the most common type of stroke and has exactly the same cause as a heart attack. Atherosclerotic plaques form, break off, then block a blood vessel. In the case of a stroke, it's a blood vessel to the brain--not the heart. 87% of all strokes are of this type. Papers repeatedly find that LDL cholesterol is not associated with stroke. The paper, "Inborn coagulation factors are more important cardiovascular risk factors than high LDL-cholesterol in familial hypercholesterolemia," co-written by Kendrick. Familial hypercholesterolemia has never been found as a risk factor in stroke. A 2010 paper in the Lancet cites various associations with stroke from the general population (not causes, but risk associations). LDL is not on the list. However, the ratio of ApoB to ApoA is. This is primarily the ratio of triglycerides to HDL. "...which is an accurate reflection of ‘insulin resistance’ and bears no relationship to LDL." How can raised LDL be a factor for heart disease but not stroke (if the mechanisms are the same)? It can't. If raised LDL is not a risk factor, how can lowering LDL lower risk? It can't. (Statins do confer a small benefit, although not from cholesterol reduction). " A raised LDL is not, and has never been, a risk factor for stroke. Yet it is claimed that lowering the LDL level reduces the risk of stroke? In reality, the evidence from the statin trials proves, beyond any doubt, that any benefit achieved by statins cannot be through lowering the LDL level."</li>
<li><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2019/01/19/what-causes-heart-disease-part-62/" target="_blank">What causes heart disease part 62</a>, 1/19/2019 - The "I told you so" edition. A study recently came out that shows that a low cholesterol level increases mortality in patients who have already had a stroke. The paper is called ‘Lower Cholesterol Tied to Increased Mortality in Ischaemic Stroke Patients with Carotid Artery Stenosis.’ "...these findings suggest a careful consideration of aggressive treatment of hyperlipidaemia in patients with acute, first-ever ischaemic stroke with high-grade ICA stenosis and post-stroke functional dependence." "Of course, this study will be dismissed out of hand. “We should still be prescribing statins to people who have had ischaemic strokes,” we will be told. “Studies like this are purely observational,” we will be told. “A high cholesterol level still needs to be lowered” we will be told. Nothing to see here; please move along! I do become increasingly weary of finding evidence that directly and absolutely contradicts the cholesterol hypothesis. It never makes the slightest difference – to anything. Hopefully, a few people are out there listening, whose minds are not made of reinforced concrete."</li>
<li><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2019/02/03/response-to-the-lancet-paper/" target="_blank">Response to the Lancet paper</a>, 2/3/2019 - Not strictly speaking a part of the What causes heart disease thread, but certainly peripheral to it. This is a review of a recent paper in the Lancet that states, "Everyone over the age of 75 should be considered for cholesterol-lowering statins, experts have urged, after an analysis found up to 8,000 lives a year could be saved." A number of issues with the paper. 1. the authors are from a university group funded by the pharmaceutical industry and are literally the only people in the world allowed to have the data. They have conflicts galore out of the gate. This doesn't make them bad, but be wary. 2. Many of the papers reviewed for this study did not even contain people over 75 years old. 3. The study states a 21% reduction in "major vascular events." Sounds good, but... No mention of mortality, no mention of impacts on other types of events, not a mention of fatal CV events. If there had been good news, they would have trumpeted it. Also, even Major CV events have a wide range of severity and consequences, so the conclusions are vague. 4. Other events are important. If you reduce CV events but increase cancer, you haven't gained anything. <i>You can prevent heart attacks by pushing people off cliffs.</i> Lol. There are data from 2003, the last time it was made available to outsiders, that demonstrate that while statins do help reduce CV deaths, they increase other fatal events leading to a wash. I'll let Dr. K finish this. "What does this mean in reality? Well, gathering it all together. Statins (in the over 75s) do not reduce mortality. They do not prevent fatal MIs and strokes. Whilst they reduce serious cardiac events, previously published results demonstrate they do not reduce total serious adverse events. Which means that they are, wait for it, absolutely and completely useless." Update: <a href="http://www.zoeharcombe.com/2019/02/statins-in-the-over-75s/" target="_blank">Zoe Harcombe also did a takedown</a> on this study.</li>
<li><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2019/02/17/adherence-to-statins-saves-lives/" target="_blank">Adherence to statins saves lives</a>, 2/17/2019 - Not! Adherence to anything saves lives. Whether it's the placebo effect or the healthy subject effect doesn't really matter. The paper "Association of Statin Adherence with Mortality in Patients with Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease.’ is a nothing-burger. Read the post for more details.</li>
<li><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2019/03/03/cholesterol-games/" target="_blank">Cholesterol Games,</a> 3/3/2019 - In which Dr. Kendrick rips the Daily Mail a new one. There has been a recent push to demonize "statin deniers." No new info, but fun to read.</li>
<li><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2019/03/17/what-causes-heart-disease-part-63/" target="_blank">What causes heart disease - part 63</a>, 3/18/2019 - Stress is the most important cause of heart disease. Unfortunately, it has been sidelined by cholesterol, blood pressure, and other symptoms. The word stress itself really should have been "strain," which is more descriptive of it. "... stress is the external force placed on an object--or a human being. Strain is the resulting deformation or damage that can occur. Therefore, it is the resultant strain that is the driver of ill health." There is plenty of population-level data that demonstrate that high levels of psychosocial stress and increased CVDS are associated. The next post will discuss the mechanism.</li>
<li><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2019/06/04/writers-block/" target="_blank">Writer's Block</a>, 6/4/2019, Malcolm confesses to writer's block. This was his attempt to get unstuck. There is a section of interest, though, in which he explains the issue of reproducibility in health research. 70% of a group of scientists see reproducibility of research as an issue, but... Suppose a study is positive, e.g. drug X reduces heart attacks. Now if somebody wishes to reproduce that study, the research ethics committee will tell you that you may not have a placebo arm because now it is unethical to withhold a drug with "proven" benefits from patients. "Thus, if a trial was flawed/biased/corrupt or simply done badly. That’s it. You are going to have to believe the results, and you can never, ever, have another go. Ergo, medicine cannot self-correct through non-reproducibility. Stupidity can now last forever. In fact, it is built in."</li>
<li><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2019/08/22/what-causes-heart-disease-part-64-not-changing-your-mind/" target="_blank">What causes heart disease part 64</a> – Not changing your mind. 8/22/2019 - Not about heart disease per se, but rather about the difficulty of getting people to change their paradigms and think that maybe they have been wrong about something. He uses an unfortunate example of a geologist named Thomas Gold, who has some great contributions to geology, but the example is one where, in fact, Gold's hypothesis was tested and did not hold up. Not completely, definitively proven wrong, but a well in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abiogenic_petroleum_origin#Siljan_Ring_crater" target="_blank">Siljan Ring</a>, which was supposed to prove his hypothesis, failed to prove his hypothesis about abiogenic oil. There may be some abiogenic oil and gas in the world, but it's likely not ubiquitous. Nonetheless, the principles laid out in this post are true. It is extremely difficult to get people to agree to change something, especially when there is a committee and groupthink involved. (e4e comment: and especially when cognitive dissonance and confirmation bias are involved.) <i>"When people ask me why do you think people cling onto the cholesterol hypothesis with such tenacity, is this vast conspiracy driven by the pharmaceutical industry? I expect most of them think I will say yes. I mean, obviously, there is a vast conspiracy going on to protect profits from cholesterol-lowering. However, the main reason why people cling to ideas is the natural human response – which is to reject new ideas out of hand." </i> </li>
<li><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2019/09/07/review-of-statins-needed/" target="_blank">Review of statins needed</a>, 9/7/2019 - High-intensity statins have been approved for OTC sale in the UK. "<i>The European Society of Cardiology has decreed that there is no normal level for cholesterol, the lower, the better.</i>" Malcolm and Aseem Malhotra recently wrote a letter to"Sir Norman Lamb MP. Chairman of the Science and Technology Select Committee – at his request – asking for a review of statins, and safety issues." There's a video <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxCO9iiJYDw)" target="_blank">here</a>. Essentially they say that benefits are overstated, dangers and adverse effects are understated, and the data is not made available for independent analysis. We are left to trust the assessment of financially interested parties. Nothing new here, but the fight continues.</li>
<li><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2019/09/23/what-causes-heart-disease-part-65-lead-again/" target="_blank">What causes heart disease part 65 – Lead again,</a> 9/23/2019 - Lead, the heavy metal, is associated with a higher risk of heart disease. Yes, it is an association, but the association is super strong. According to a recent study, 1 in 6 deaths is attributable to lead in the body. The broader question is, at what level of correlation effect do we begin to believe that the association may be causal. A typical benchmark might be something like if the odds ratio is affected by a factor of two, you might see something cutting through all the noise and inaccuracy of epidemiology. Red and processed meat typically show an odds ratio of about 1.2, so it is weak evidence. Lead, on the other hand, in one study, had an odds ratio of 8.37. It's bad stuff. You can get your blood tested for lead, and there are effective chelation therapies that can reduce lead in your body. As an aside, I really liked this quote, "...almost all diets are perfectly healthy. Vegetarian, paleo, keto, vegan (with a few essential nutrients thrown in, so you don’t die), HFLC, etc. In fact, the only non-healthy diet would be the one recommended by all the experts around the world. Namely, High carb, low fat (HCLF). The ‘eat well plate’, ‘the food pyramid’ – whatever it is now called. Stay away from that, and you will be fine."</li>
<li><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2019/10/05/what-causes-heart-disease-part-66/" target="_blank">What causes heart disease part 66</a>, 10/5/2019 - More on lead and the philosophy of his work. Lead is very nasty stuff. But... it does not fit into the cholesterol hypothesis of heart disease. So it is seen as a toxin, but the medical establishment picks on cholesterol, perhaps because they can. Lead fits in well with Malcolm's hypothesis, It provides "Fifteen ways of damaging the endothelium, four that inhibit repair, and two mechanisms for making blood clots more difficult to get rid of..." Sickle cell disease is another very nasty disorder that causes CVD but does not fit into the cholesterol hypothesis. It does fit into the three-step process. Finally vasculitis. It causes CVD but doesn't fit into the cholesterol hypothesis. "They all fit very neatly into the walls of the house that is called ‘endothelial damage’. How else can you explain how three such disparate things can possibly cause exactly the same disease." "...realised that the problem, the great problem in all research into CVD, is that very early on it was decreed that LDL/cholesterol causes CVD. Therefore, all thinking and any hypothesis on CVD required that LDL sat at the centre."</li>
<li><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2019/10/09/what-causes-heart-disease-a-summary/" target="_blank">What causes heart disease – a summary</a>, 10/9/2019 - Malcolm is <a href="https://thefatemperor.com/ep40-dr-malcolm-kendrick-the-true-causes-of-heart-disease-are-not-what-you-think/" target="_blank">interviewed for a podcast by Ivor Cummins and explains his hypothesis</a>. <a href="http://healthinsightuk.org/2019/10/08/cholesterol-is-innocent-how-the-real-killers-were-tracked-down/" target="_blank">Another blog takes a stab at paraphrasing </a>the hypothesis. Malcolm is happy with this, perhaps because he is so close to it and all the detail that it's hard for him to create something at a more digestible level for non-medical professionals.</li>
<li><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2019/11/10/what-causes-heart-disease-part-67-the-blood-brain-barrier/" target="_blank">What causes heart disease - part 67 - The Blood Brain Barrier</a>, 11/10/2019 - Another perspective on problems with the LDL/cholesterol version of heart disease. The brain contains a large amount of cholesterol. The endothelium of blood vessels in the brain is quite similar to that found in arteries. Endothelium does not allow for simple "leakage" of LDL, perhaps there is a cellular mechanism that allows passage through the cell? It seems odd that the brain manufactures its own cholesterol when it could otherwise possibly take it straight out of the blood. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4837572/#:~:text=The%20CNS%20cholesterol%20is%20transported,%2C%2039%20kDa)%20and%20lipids.&text=Lipid%2Dpoor%20particles%20(for%20example,ApoE%20levels%20in%20the%20brain." target="_blank">He found a paper</a>, though, which states, "... the blood-brain barrier (BBB) prevents the uptake of lipoprotein-bound cholesterol from the circulation." This means then that LDL cannot get past intact arterial endothelium, therefore the LDL hypothesis is dead. QED.</li>
<li><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2019/12/11/the-lancet-study/" target="_blank">The Lancet Study</a>, 12/11/2019 - Another study with conflicts of interest and questionable endpoints. It's called "<i>Application of non-HDL cholesterol for population-based cardiovascular risk stratification:..</i>." This one has a few instructive issues. First, it measures non-HDL cholesterol. Essentially, it is total cholesterol minus HDL modified by triglyceride count. LDL ("bad" cholesterol) is not directly measured. So in their formula, LDL is calculated as proportional to triglycerides, which are a known causal factor of CVD. Triglycerides are included in non-HDL as is LP(a), which is similar to LDL, but it has an extra protein stuck on the side which causes clots and prevents their breakdown. Finally, the endpoint measurements are important. The one we REALLY care about is total mortality. This study apparently used a combined end-point to measure efficacy and did not include total mortality. Malcolm says that if they don't include total mortality it was not relevant or significant. Toss this study; it tells us nothing.</li>
<li><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2019/12/23/another-new-study/" target="_blank">Another new study</a>, 12/23/2019 - Here's the study: "Association between hyperlipidaemia and mortality after incident acute myocardial infarction or acute decompensated heart failure: a propensity score-matched cohort study and a meta-analysis." I fell asleep just reading the title. The words in the study are even worse if you're not used to jargon and acronyms in this field. This one didn't get nearly as much press as the LancetStudy above. Hmm. Could it be because it showed that higher LDL cholesterol may actually be protective against heart disease mortality? In fact, the cohort tested is the one thought to receive the highest benefit from lowering cholesterol by taking statins, This study shows that is not the case. The bottom line, "Clinical care should not focus on certain lipid targets." Things that make you shake your head.</li>
<li><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2020/01/17/coronary-artery-calcification-cac/" target="_blank">Coronary artery calcification (CAC)</a>, 1/17/2020 - Happy New Year. Dr. Kendrick starts out the year with a fascinating take on the CAC score. This is a test that speaks to the presence of calcification in the coronary artery. A low score is always considered good, a high score is not good, but may not be bad. How is this possible? When damage occurs to the endothelium and underlying blood vessels, it clots and attempts to heal. When the healing is not 100%, over time, the remaining tissue absorbs calcium and forms a cap, which is detectable by the CAC test. Calcium on a CAC test tells you that damage occurred some time ago and did not fully heal. Once a clot calcified, it is no longer dangerous generally. <i>Statins actually increase calcification as does warfarin, as does intense exercise.</i> It turns out that if the calcification and clotting are from intense exercise, it is much less dangerous than if it is from another cause like smoking or diabetes. The latter causes tend to create damage in the blood vessels with a goopy semi-liquid core, whereas exercise damage tends to be more fibrous and not dangerous. CAC does not tell you why the clot formed and whether it is dangerous. The issue with many diagnostic tests is that they are not useful guides to what you should now do. CAC is one such test. If your CAC is zero, don't worry. If it's positive, now what? <i>Taking statins increases it, and exercise increases it.</i> Is that good or bad? The jury is still out. Kendrick says "...CAC scans meet most of my criteria for ‘a bloody awful test that should not be done.’ It may or may not mean anything, there is no clear guidance as to what you can do about it if it is positive, and it spreads fear and anxiety in many, many, people." He believes that until we have some idea what to do about a high score, backed by good research, it probably should not be done. <i>e4e take: CAC tests, as with mammograms, are in that world of tests where it is unclear if there is an actual population-wide benefit of doing them. The tests are not reliable enough to rule out false positives, and often more harm is done attempting to fix something that does not need to be fixed. Although people want to know their status, if it does not have a high chance of driving you in a beneficial direction, one should be wary. The stress alone from getting a positive test can drive worse outcomes. It's money that can be better spent. If you will stress out, just don't. Some people NEED to know and stress more from the uncertainty of knowing there is a test out there that they haven't had. There is very little upside to this test and more downside. It's best to spend your test money elsewhere.</i> </li>
<li><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2021/06/03/covid19-the-spike-protein-and-blood-clotting/" target="_blank">COVID19 – the spike protein and blood clotting</a>, 6/3/2021 - Kendrick is working on his book on heart disease, and in the process, COVID came through the world. COVID causes a lot of blood clotting issues as one of its effects. The "cytokine storm" caused as your immune system ramps up causes damage to the glycocalyx and the underlying endothelium, which causes many clots to form. One of the instigators of the immune response that causes the cytokine storm is the spike protein on COVID, which is essentially what makes up the vaccine. Given this, the vaccines probably cause increased clotting. It will be difficult to coax some deaths caused by the vaccine out of the data because there are already so many clotting-related issues.</li><li><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2021/09/16/covid19-and-cvd-bridging-the-gap/" target="_blank">COVID19 and CVD – Bridging the Gap</a>, 9/16/2021 - He starts out with the assertion that the immune system and blood clotting mechanism actually work together, and in fact, started deep in our evolution as the same thing. There's a lot of technical connecting the dots, and then the kicker--"...with COVID-19, we are looking at almost the same pathological process as seen in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), with an added dash of antiphospholipid syndrome." So, of course, COVID is not Lupus, but it looks a lot like it, creating similar damage.</li><li><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2021/10/22/lets-talk-about-c-just-you-and-me/" target="_blank">Let’s talk about C – just you and me,</a> 10/22/2021 - The good doctor does a deep dive on vitamins in general, and specifically, vitamin C. Much of this is an update of his past work on Vitamin C, where he talks about the importance of C in healing vascular damage without forming clots. He did have an interesting and surprising observation. Lp(a), that nasty lipoprotein is a form of LDL. It is what created the blockage in arteries. There is a proportion of Lp(a) to LDL, but in each person it is different. But the more LDL, the more LP(a) you will have in general. Vitamin C is required to create collagen in your body, which in turn prevents your body from using and cementing the Lp(a) to your blood vessels in the first place.</li><li><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2021/11/04/the-enduring-mystery-of-heart-disease-the-clot-thickens/" target="_blank">The enduring mystery of heart disease – The Clot Thickens</a>, 11/4/2021 - Dr. Kendrick has released <a href="https://amzn.to/3o2Rscy" target="_blank">his new book</a>. The title is not just a silly pun, but also a description of what happens in heart disease. He has taken all that he has discovered during his long career of practicing medicine and geeking out on all the literature and converted it into a book. I don't have much to say beyond everything that is written above. He says he gets deeper into many of the topics than he did on the blog. I just bought it.</li><li><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2021/12/06/vitamins-once-more-mainly-b-vitamins-and-homocysteine-with-a-special-mention-for-magnesium/" target="_blank">Vitamins once more – mainly B vitamins and homocysteine – with a special mention for magnesium,</a>12/6/2021 - Vitamins and minerals are essential to life. In modern times, due to many variables, there are some that end up in deficiency. An interesting and sad example is from Israel, where heavy reliance on mineral-free desalinated water leaves many with a magnesium deficiency. About 4,000 people die per year from that deficiency in Israel. He also cites a paper that proposes magnesium as a driver of cardiovascular disease and death. He recommends that you supplement, especially if you live in an area with soft water or experience atrial fibrillation. There is little or no downside. A dearth of B vitamins can also be dangerous. In this article, he focuses on B3 (niacin), B6 (pyroxidine), B9 (folate/folic acid), and B12 (cobalamin), which, if you are low in them (especially 6, 9, and 12), can increase a protein in your blood called homocysteine. High homocysteine in your blood damages endothelial cells. The man who discovered this relationship, Kilmer McCully) was blackballed from academia for a time. He then pivots to the role of B vitamins in the prevention of Alzheimer's and dementia where B1, B6, and B12 seem to have a particularly important role in preserving the nervous system, and cites some studies where this was observed in intervention. His final pivot in the article is to the corruption of what I will call the pharmaceutical-research complex, which has blessed poor studies that do not further the interests of drug companies.</li></ol><div><br /></div>
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=emotforengi-20&language=en_US&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B09KV553GY&asins=B09KV553GY&linkId=39c5156674d7a5fa937521f7d781d01a&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://peterattiamd.com/heart-disease-begin-tell-us-prevention/" target="_blank">Peter Attia's view.</a> Dr. Attia is another very smart guy. His view is somewhat different than Dr. Kendrick's view. Attia focuses on the end-stage as being the infarction, rather than the clot breaking. There are also other differences.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Kendrick's view is that the clot occurs mainly (although not exclusively) because of physical damage to the endothelium. In "normal" circumstances, most of the clot will get cleaned up by the body, perhaps leaving behind some scar tissue. But if the clot has some malformation, or the person has an imbalance in some of the important blood factors, the cleanup either does not occur or is poorly done. At that point, the vessel will become blocked, or the clot may break loose because of defects in the clot.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Attia, on the other hand, seems to regard CVD as simply an inevitable outcome of age. Oxidation and damage happen inside the intima (the artery wall itself, behind the endothelium), then essentially spills over through the endothelium, where it clots, etc.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">For me, Kendrick's view seems to hold together better. It contains both a pathology as well as a mechanism for reversing it if everything is working properly. Attia presents the damage as something that happens that cannot repair itself. That's the way the body usually works. Kendrick's view is that overall the body is doing its best to protect itself, but when it gets overloaded it simply can't keep up. This can be compared to the view that CVD is a horrible pathology.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">In all likelihood, I am misinterpreting much (and perhaps they are saying something quite similar but explaining it differently), but Kendrick's view seems more biologically consistent with the way the body usually works.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Other posts during the series on What Causes Heart Disease.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2016/09/06/duane-graveline/" target="_blank">Duane Graveline</a>, 09/06/2016, Duane was a doctor who trained to be an astronaut. He was prescribed statins and had severe side-effects. He researched and studied these effects and developed the <a href="https://spacedoc.com/" target="_blank">SpaceDoc website</a>. He passed away.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2016/09/11/medical-censorship-in-the-twenty-first-century/" target="_blank">Medical censorship in the twenty first century</a>, 9/11/2016, Medical censorship. Tells stories about how researchers try to quash research and studies contrary to their beliefs and/or interests. This is an interesting read about limitations of studies, especially when researchers have a dog in the hunt. [e4e note: This post is mostly about how confirmation bias and cognitive dissonance destroy even intelligent people's ability to reason.] Read it, but there is little to learn about heart disease. There is interesting information about statin adverse effects.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2016/09/26/buy-this-new-book/" target="_blank">Buy this new book</a>, 09/26/2016, "There is a group of doctors, scientists and researchers called the International Network of Cholesterol Skeptics (THINCS) <a href="http://www.thincs.org/" target="_blank">www.thincs.org</a>. I am a member, and recently a number of us have contributed chapters to a new book called <em><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cholesterol-Cause-Attacks-Statins-Solution-ebook/dp/B01LZHKRD8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1519330563&sr=1-1&keywords=fat+and+cholesterol+don%27t+cause+heart+attacks&linkCode=ll1&tag=emotforengi-20&linkId=4eaa4c85f9e53e4982aee8d45e659d33" target="_blank">Fat and Cholesterol Don’t Cause Heart Attacks And Statins are Not the Solution</a>." </em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2016/10/20/saturated-fat-and-heart-disease/" target="_blank">Saturated fat and heart disease</a>, 10/20/2016, "<em>Total saturated fat intake was associated with a lower IHD (Ischaemic Heart Disease) risk..."</em> It goes on to say that substituting anything for saturated fat increases heart disease risk. The main point of this post though is that questioning dogma can be professionally and legally risky for doctors and researchers. It is especially bad when the dogma is built on "common sense" and not research. "Made up scientific hypothesis are, I find, very difficult to dislodge with evidence." He talks about a few examples and crazy quotes from people entrenched in the dogma.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2016/11/13/those-who-promote-a-high-fat-low-carbohydrate-diet-are-silenced-around-the-world/" target="_blank">Those who promote a high fat low carbohydrate diet are silenced around the world</a>, 11/13/2016, The curious case of Dr. Gary Fettke. Horrible process they have in Australia.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2016/11/29/high-cholesterol-low-heart-disease-the-sami/" target="_blank">High cholesterol low heart disease – The Sami</a>, 11/29/2016, Another paradox--people whose good health persists despite their efforts to kill themselves with unhealthy habits. The Sami are what we used to call the Lapps in Finland. "...the Sami, despite having very high cholesterol levels, a high level of smoking, a high-fat diet, and almost zero carbohydrate intake – and suchlike – had a very low rate of cardiovascular disease. This was particularly interesting for a couple of reasons. Firstly, most of the Sami live in Finland, and the Finns – at one time – had the highest rate of heart disease in the world. Not only that, but the Sami live in an area of Finland, North Karelia, which had the highest rate of heart disease in Finland. The worst of the worst.In addition, the Sami had considerably worse ‘traditional’ risk factors for heart disease than the surrounding population. Higher cholesterol and LDL, high-fat diet, far more smoking etc."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2016/12/16/the-diet-heart-hypothesis-suffers-another-attack-hoorah/" target="_blank">The diet-heart hypothesis suffers another attack – hoorah!</a>, 12/16/2016, A <em>Group of concerned Canadian Physicians and Allied Health Care </em>providers put together recommendations about Canada's dietary guidelines. Their recommendations are as follows: 1. <em>Clearly communicate to the public and healthcare professionals that the low-fat diet is no longer supported, and can worsen heart disease risk factors. 2. Be created without influence from the food industry. 3. Eliminate caps on saturated fats. 4. Be nutritionally sufficient, and those nutrients should come from real foods, not from artificially fortified refined grains. 5. Promote low-carb diets as at least one safe and effective intervention for people struggling with obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. 6. Offer a true range of diets that respond to the diverse nutritional needs of our population. 7. De-emphasize the role of aerobic exercise in controlling weight. 8. Recognize the controversy on salt and cease the blanket “lower is better” recommendation. 9. Stop using any language suggesting that sustainable weight control can simply be managed by creating a caloric deficit. 10. Cease its advice to replace saturated fats with polyunsaturated vegetable oils to prevent cardiovascular disease. 11. Stop steering people away from nutritious whole foods, such as whole-fat dairy and regular red meat. 12. Include a cap on added sugar, in accordance with the updated WHO guidelines, ideally no greater than 5% of total calories. 13. Be based on a complete, comprehensive review of the most rigorous (randomized, controlled clinical trial) data available; on subjects for which this more rigorous data is not available, the Guidelines should remain silent." </em>Yay!</span></div><div><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2017/01/28/vitamin-c-an-update/">https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2017/01/28/vitamin-c-an-update/</a>, 01/28/2017, <em style="background-color: white; border: 0px currentcolor; color: #444444; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">‘Our results suggest that the early use of intravenous vitamin C, together with corticosteroids and thiamine may prove to be effective in preventing progressive organ dysfunction including acute kidney injury and reducing the mortality of patients with severe sepsis and septic shock.</em><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px currentcolor; color: #444444; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> This one has nothing to do with heart disease, but VItamin C continues its march.</span></span><br />
<a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2017/04/26/tim-noakes-found-not-guilty-of-something-or-other/"><span style="font-family: inherit;">https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2017/04/26/tim-noakes-found-not-guilty-of-something-or-other/</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2017/05/08/its-official-statins-do-not-have-any-side-effects/">https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2017/05/08/its-official-statins-do-not-have-any-side-effects/</a>. 05/08/2017, discussion of a study that claims statin side effects are extremely rare. The study was conducted by companies that sell statins. He doesn't believe it and has comments about the studies. In any case, except in a minority of people, statins help very little.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2017/05/22/cholesterol-lowering-the-end-of-the-beginning/">https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2017/05/22/cholesterol-lowering-the-end-of-the-beginning/</a>, 05/22/2017, more on the statin side-effect studies and conflicts of interest in the researchers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2017/05/28/mike-cawdrey-a-tribute/">https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2017/05/28/mike-cawdrey-a-tribute/</a>, 05/28/2017, Mike Cawdery was a regular commenter on Kendrick's blog.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2017/06/24/british-society-of-lifestyle-medicine-conference/">https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2017/06/24/british-society-of-lifestyle-medicine-conference/</a>, 06/24/2017, "<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 14px;">This is a great grassroots movement of people, and many doctors, who are trying to achieve a more holistic approach to health.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 14px;"> "</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2017/07/16/diabetes-unpacked-a-new-book/">https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2017/07/16/diabetes-unpacked-a-new-book/</a>, He talks about a book that he contributed to that discusses the causal link between diet and diabetes. It should come as no surprise that he favors a low-carb, high-fat (LCHF) diet. This is consistent with e4e recommendations, so beware confirmation bias.</span></div><div><br />
<a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2017/10/19/starting-the-conversation/"><span style="font-family: inherit;">https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2017/10/19/starting-the-conversation/</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Evacetrapib trials fail</span><br />
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/04/health/dashing-hopes-study-shows-cholesterol-drug-has-no-benefits.html"><span style="font-family: inherit;">https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/04/health/dashing-hopes-study-shows-cholesterol-drug-has-no-benefits.html</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Great quote, "“We had an agent that seemed to do all the right things,” said Dr. Stephen J. Nicholls, the study’s principal investigator and the deputy director of the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute in Adelaide. “It’s the most mind-boggling question. How can a drug that lowers something that is associated with benefit not show any benefit?” he said, referring to the 37 percent drop in LDL levels with the drug." <i>Here's the e4e answer to his question. The hypothesis that high LDL and low HDL cause heart disease is a failed hypothesis. Your company should now declare bankruptcy and stop selling statins before you kill more people.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2007/10/report_erectile_dysfunction/page-01" target="_blank">Another article</a> supports the link between erectile function and cardiovascular health mediated by nitric oxide.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.zoeharcombe.com/2014/05/replacing-not-lowering-cholesterol-would-be-more-accurate/" target="_blank">Zoe Harcombe's blog</a> on Cholesterol Replacement by Plant Sterols</div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "open sans", serif; font-size: 16px;">“</span><em style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: "open sans", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">plant sterols have been shown to lower/reduce blood cholesterol</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "open sans", serif; font-size: 16px;">“. They also stated “</span><em style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: "open sans", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">However, there are no human intervention studies demonstrating that plant sterols reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "open sans", serif; font-size: 16px;">”</span></div><div><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: "open sans", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Also <a href="https://www.zoeharcombe.com/2010/11/cholesterol-heart-disease-there-is-a-relationship-but-its-not-what-you-think/" target="_blank">this link</a> demonstrating that The higher the cholesterol, the lower the deaths from CVD (cardiovascular disease) for men; The higher the cholesterol, the lower the deaths from CVD (cardiovascular disease) for women; The higher the cholesterol, the lower the deaths from any cause for men; The higher the cholesterol, the lower the deaths from any cause for women.</p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: "open sans", serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></p>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div></div>Tony Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688318289784215712noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194600066391868656.post-30469211550617871252017-02-17T02:29:00.001-08:002017-02-17T02:29:25.783-08:00Office Space and Creativity - What Makes the Perfect Office<a href="http://timharford.com/2017/02/what_makes_the_perfect_office/" target="_blank">Fascinating post about how office space affects creativity and productivity.</a> by Tim Harford<br />
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The bottom line is that there is no evidence that fancy architecture and design help. What does helo is letting people have control over their environment.Tony Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688318289784215712noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194600066391868656.post-86394608312768738312017-01-25T21:14:00.000-08:002018-09-06T09:14:54.442-07:00Scott Adams' Take on Post-inauguration Trump<em>9/6/2018 Update: You can see below that I stopped adding to the list in March 2018. After this date, two things happened: Scott went to a speaking format and his cognitive dissonance and confirmation bias got the better of him. He talks about liberals with Trump Derangement Syndrome, but I'm afraid he has Trump worship syndrome. His posts became ramblings justifying Trump's behavior. I still wish that Scott were right in his opinions, but Trump's behaviors and decisions have gone way beyond any credible hope that he is, or can be, a president that takes the country in a good direction. </em><br />
As you may be aware, Scott Adams of Dilbert predicted a Trump victory in August 2015, well before he won the Republican primary. His basis was that Trump is the best persuader he has ever seen. He did many blog posts about his thought process and Trump's progress and strategies. I tracked all his posts at <a href="http://www.emotionsforengineers.com/2015/12/scott-adams-of-dilbert-fame-scott-adams.html" target="_blank">this link.</a><br />
<br />
He stuck to his guns all the way through, even in the last two weeks before the vote when all the serious polls were predicting a Clinton victory.<br />
<br />
He admonished the readers of his blog to adopt a different mindset, a different way of thinking about persuasion and election campaign tactics and strategy.<br />
<br />
Perhaps he was just lucky, but I don't think that's the case. I believe that Scott saw something that was opaque to almost everyone else.<br />
<br />
The other post got too long and was dealing with how Trump got elected. I am going to continue tracking Scott's posts post-inauguration in this post. This time they will be in reverse chronological order - newest first.<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">March 2018</span></strong><br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/2018/03/04/things-learned-gun-control/" rel="bookmark" title="Things I Have Learned About Gun Control">Things I Have Learned About Gun Control</a> , 3/4/2018<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/2018/03/03/criticize-political-opponent-using-list-persuasion/" target="_blank">How to Criticize a Political Opponent Using List Persuasion</a>, 3/3/2018, Talking about list journalism, "...while each item is unimportant, false, overblown, or an obvious misinterpretation of intent, the sheer quantity of items makes it persuasive nonetheless."<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">February 2018</span></strong><br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/2018/02/21/news-reported-facts/" target="_blank">What if the News Reported Only Facts</a>, 2/21/2018<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/2018/02/14/charlottesville-fake-news-best-persuasion-play-past-year/" target="_blank">The Charlottesville Fake News Was the Best Persuasion Play of the Past Year</a>, 2/14/2018<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">January 2018</span></strong><br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/2018/01/24/persuasion-reading-list-updated-1-18/" rel="bookmark" title="Persuasion Reading List – Updated 1/18">Persuasion Reading List – Updated 1/18</a>, Jan 24 (Posted)<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/2018/01/20/make-opponents-try-fail-prove-negative/" target="_blank">How to Make Your Opponents Try (and fail) to Prove a Negative</a>, Jan 20<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/2018/01/18/fake-news-awards-persuasive/" rel="bookmark" title="Are the Fake News Awards Persuasive?">Are the Fake News Awards Persuasive?</a>, Jan 18<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/2018/01/17/north-korea-can-become-switzerland-east/" rel="bookmark" title="How North Korea Can Become Switzerland of the East">How North Korea Can Become Switzerland of the East</a>, Jan 17<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/2018/01/09/president-trump-earns-highest-presidential-approval-level-time/" rel="bookmark" title="President Trump Earns the Highest Presidential Approval Level of All Time">President Trump Earns the Highest Presidential Approval Level of All Time</a>, Jan 9<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/2018/01/03/president-trumps-nuclear-button-tweet-sign-insanity/" target="_blank">Is President Trump’s Nuclear Button Tweet a Sign of Insanity</a><a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/2018/01/03/president-trumps-nuclear-button-tweet-sign-insanity/" target="_blank">?</a>, Jan 3<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/2018/01/02/president-trump-changed-imagination/" target="_blank">How President Trump Changed Your Imagination</a>, Jan 2<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large; font-weight: 700;">December 2017</span><br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/2017/12/28/the-demolition-president/" target="_blank">The Demolition President</a>, Dec 28<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/2017/12/22/determine-talk-politics-public/" target="_blank">How to Determine If You Should Talk About Politics in Public</a>, Dec 22<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/2017/12/11/black-lives-matter-blm-republicans-natural-allies/" rel="bookmark" title="Why Black Lives Matter (BLM) and Republicans are Natural Allies (or should be)">Why Black Lives Matter (BLM) and Republicans are Natural Allies (or should be)</a>, Dec 11<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">November 2017</span></strong><br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/2017/11/13/president-trumps-2017-report-card-first-draft/" rel="bookmark" title="President Trump’s 2017 Report Card (first draft)">President Trump’s 2017 Report Card (first draft)</a>, Nov 13<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/2017/11/06/win-bigly-bonus-chapter/" rel="bookmark" title="Win Bigly Bonus Chapter">Win Bigly Bonus Chapter</a>, Nov 6, Chapter on Hypnotism from <a href="http://amzn.to/2hR1Bbd" target="_blank">Scott's new book</a> <br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/167012718081/persuading-terrorist-cowards">Persuading Terrorist Cowards</a>, Nov 1<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">October 2017</span></strong><br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/166570942666/how-to-know-president-trump-is-in-your-head">How to Know President Trump is in Your Head</a>, Oct 19<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/166569893911/how-to-make-a-little-rocket-man-costume-for">How to Make a Little Rocket Man Costume for Halloween</a>, Oct 19<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/166503042966/the-north-korea-reframe">The North Korea Reframe</a>, Oct 17<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/166397088926/low-public-approval-of-president-trump-yet">Low Public Approval of President Trump Yet Unusually High Consumer Confidence. Hmmm…</a>, Oct 16<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/166361617121/affirmations-positive-thinking-trump-and-norman">Affirmations, Positive Thinking, Trump, and Norman Vincent Peale</a>, Oct 13<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/166112920486/the-worst-gun-control-arguments">The Worst Gun Control Arguments</a>, Oct 6<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">September 2017</span></strong><br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/165616887556/the-universe-is-winking-at-you">The Universe is Winking at You</a>, Sep 22<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/165334092961/i-explain-the-persuasion-techniques-president">I Explain the Persuasion Techniques President Trump is using on The Wall and DACA</a>, Sep 14<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/165228190911/win-bigly-available-for-pre-order">Win Bigly - Available for pre-order</a>, Sep 11, <a href="http://amzn.to/2wT31up" target="_blank">Scott's new book about persuasion</a><br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/165227772726/when-to-trust-the-experts-climate-and-otherwise">When to Trust the Experts (Climate and Otherwise)</a>, Sep 11<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/165009907411/why-north-korea-and-the-united-states-are-near-war">Why North Korea and the United States are Near War</a>, Sep 5<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">August 2017</span></strong><br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/164826155621/leadership-is-breaking-out-all-over">Leadership is Breaking Out All Over</a>, Aug 31 Just a <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottAdamsSays/status/903254331822022656" target="_blank">link to a periscope video</a>.<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/164492167706/the-magical-thinking-opposition">The Magical Thinking Opposition</a>, Aug 22<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/164413430711/checking-my-six-month-prediction-did-it-age">Checking My Six Month Prediction - Did it Age Well?</a>, Aug 20<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/164370580166/do-we-really-need-moral-leadership-from-the">Do We Really Need “Moral Leadership” from the White House?</a>, Aug 19<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/164297628606/how-to-know-youre-in-a-mass-hysteria-bubble">How To Know You’re In a Mass Hysteria Bubble</a>, Aug 17<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/163911334041/the-peoples-plan-to-fix-health-care">The People’s Plan to Fix Health Care</a>, Aug 7<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">July 2017</span></strong><br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/163643867566/people-keep-telling-me-to-stop-blogging-about">People Keep Telling Me to Stop Blogging about North Korea</a>, Jul 31<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/163604001306/another-way-to-make-mexico-pay-for-the-wall">Another Way to Make Mexico Pay for the Wall?</a>, Jul 30<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/163603161786/can-a-nation-attack-a-company">Can a Nation Attack a Company?</a>, Jul 30<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/163600884141/the-turn-to-effective-but-we-dont-like-it">The Turn to “Effective, but we don’t like it.”</a>, Jul 30<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/163526404616/health-care-is-a-system-not-a-goal">Health Care is a System, Not a Goal</a>, Jul 28, "McCain did what heroes do. He took a bullet to prevent Congress from ignoring the wishes of half the country." "[Trump's] strongest play as a negotiator involved waiting until Congress utterly and completely failed. That almost didn’t happen last night. It took a war hero to finish the job. "<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/163412586896/i-tell-you-why-president-trump-is-on-the-verge-of">I Tell You Why President Trump is on the Verge of Total Victory</a>, Jul 25<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/163343776131/how-confident-are-intelligence-agencies-that">How “Confident” are Intelligence Agencies that Russia Interfered with the Election?</a>, Jul 23<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/163253041366/im-not-your-pope-but-thanks-for-asking">I’m Not Your Pope (But Thanks for Asking)</a>, Jul 21<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/163177453771/listen-to-my-conversation-with-sam-harris-about">Listen to My Conversation with Sam Harris – About President Trump</a>, Jul 19<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/163138976726/i-tell-you-how-citizens-can-fix-health-care-now" target="_blank">I Tell You How Citizens Can Fix Health Care (Now that Congress Failed)</a>, Jul 18<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/163057908646/i-teach-you-how-to-take-a-meeting-with-a-russian" target="_blank">I Teach You How to Take a Meeting with a Russian Lawyer. Also Some Kid Rock Laughs.</a>, Jul 16<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/162905057201/my-chat-about-russia-with-tucker-carlson">My Chat About Russia With Tucker Carlson</a>, Jul 12<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/162786625861/people-who-cant-recognize-humor-literally">People Who Can’t Recognize Humor (literally)</a>, Jul 9<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/162785702256/north-korea-is-an-information-problem-disguised-as">North Korea is an Information Problem Disguised as a Military Problem</a>, Jul 9<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/162748871766/international-relations-in-a-time-of-nukes-and" target="_blank">International Relations in a Time of Nukes and Plenty</a>, Jul 8<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/162632490866/solving-the-north-korea-situation" target="_blank">Solving the North Korea Situation</a>, Jul 5<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/162551706621/my-exciting-periscope-playlist" target="_blank">My Exciting Periscope Playlist</a>, Jul 3<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>June 2017</strong></span><strong><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></strong><br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/162453502936/how-president-trumps-tweet-about-morning-joe-will" target="_blank">How President Trump’s Tweet about Morning Joe Will Destroy Civilization</a>, Jun 30<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/162435434446/did-syria-use-chemical-weapons-in-khan-shaykhun" target="_blank">Did Syria use Chemical Weapons in Khan Shaykhun?</a>, Jun 30<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/162326186171/the-only-way-to-fix-healthcare-insurance-in-the" target="_blank">The Only Way to Fix Healthcare Insurance in the U.S.</a>, Jun 27<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/162121951686/president-trumps-idea-to-put-solar-panels-on-the" target="_blank">President Trump’s Idea to Put Solar Panels on the Wall</a>, Jun 22<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/162106845381/why-the-new-healthcare-bill-will-be-a-loser" target="_blank">Why the New Healthcare Bill Will Be a Loser</a>, Jun 22<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/161777338226/russia-hacked-our-election-so-what">Russia Hacked our Election! (So what?)</a>, Jun 13<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/161585486426/the-comey-fog">The Comey Fog</a>, Jun 8<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/161543620451/solar-panels-on-the-wall">Solar Panels on the Wall?</a>, Jun 7<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/161471573041/most-problems-are-information-problems">Most Problems are Information Problems</a>, Jun 5<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/161427038341/helping-the-terrorists-recruit">Helping the Terrorists Recruit</a>, Jun 4, Change the frame. ISIS is a bunch of losers.<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/161390195661/an-example-of-cognitive-dissonance">An Example of Cognitive Dissonance</a>, Jun 3, The climate denial cartoon was a cognitive dissonance trap. Did you fall for it?<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/161354048186/betting-on-climate-change">Betting on Climate Change</a>, Jun 2, If it was so bad, literally planet destroying with support from a broad spectrum of business leaders, why did the market respond positively?<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">May 2017</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: large;"></span></strong><br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/161281215881/the-kathy-griffin-controversy">The Kathy Griffin Controversy</a>, May 31, "You and I get to live in the movies in our heads until your script and mine come into conflict. That’s what happened with the Griffin photo." and "The takeaway here should not be so much about Griffin. The takeaway is that a room full of people involved in the photoshoot did not see this as a huge problem from the start. They were living a different movie."<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/161280001386/covfefe">Covfefe</a>, May 31, The nation needed a laugh break.<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/161026212976/going-after-the-families-of-terrorists">Going After the Families of Terrorists</a>, May 25, It is possible to go after them without going after them. But maybe we should...<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/160989114746/the-time-i-nudged-climate-scientists-into">The Time I Nudged Climate Scientists into Debunking their Own Models</a>, May 23, Climate scientists try to debunk Scott's criticisms, but show their cognitive dissonance.<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/160986020961/goodbye-isis-hello-losers">Goodbye ISIS, Hello Losers</a>, May 23, Branding Isis as Losers will cripple them<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/160948078481/time-to-end-presidential-press-briefings">Time to End Presidential Press Briefings?</a>, Are press briefings really worth the time and effort? Perhaps there's a better way.<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/160875202211/the-short-attention-span-president">The Short Attention Span President</a>, May 20, Is it short attention span or focusing on the important? How can you tell the difference?<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/160770453201/the-slow-motion-assassination-of-president-trump">The Slow-Motion Assassination of President Trump</a>, May 17<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/160699204216/a-quick-look-at-president-trump-and-the-big" target="_blank">A Quick Look at President Trump and the Big Picture</a>, May 16<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/160696999931/how-to-know-you-won-a-political-debate-on-the">How to Know You Won a Political Debate on the Internet</a>, May 16, Not about Trump, but interesting read for the readers of E4E. Look for the cognitive dissonance tells.<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/160515646406/the-comey-firing">The Comey Firing</a>, May 9<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/160447583616/wheres-my-immigration-prediction-model">Where’s My Immigration Prediction Model?</a>, May 8<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/160305585086/the-healthcare-confusopoly">The Healthcare Confusopoly</a>, May 4, "<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">...<span style="background-color: white; color: #231f20;">refuse to re-elect any politician who votes for a health care bill that YOU don’t understand. If you don’t understand a healthcare bill, that means it is designed to screw you."</span></span><br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/160304991456/the-resistance-changes-its-attack-from-russian">The Resistance changes its attack from “Russian Puppet” to “Trump is Crazy” - Which Works Best?</a>, May 4<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/160266438656/pre-bribing-a-president">Pre-Bribing a President</a>, May 3<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/160228984401/using-persuasion-to-create-assets-out-of-nothing">Using Persuasion to Create Assets Out of Nothing</a>, May 2<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/160196759446/the-north-korean-weapons-test-pattern">The North Korean Weapons Test Pattern</a>, May 1<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">April 2017</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: large;"></span></strong><br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/159981284676/president-trumps-first-100-days">President Trump’s First 100 Days</a>, Apr 25<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/159824817036/how-a-systems-thinking-president-can-settle-the">How a Systems-Thinking President Can Settle the Climate Science Debate</a>, Apr 21<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/159792630956/big-red-flag-for-cognitive-dissonance">Big Red Flag for Cognitive Dissonance</a>, Apr 21, Not Trump, but good intro for the next post. Climate scientists probably believe they have convinced about half of the public to their side using their graphs and logic and facts. That’s not the case. They convinced half the public by using fear persuasion disguised as facts and logic. <i><b>And it probably worked best with the people who have the least knowledge of how often complicated prediction models have failed in the past.</b></i><br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/159720295071/the-air-comes-out-of-the-anti-trump-balloon">The Air Comes Out of the Anti-Trump Balloon</a>, Apr 18<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/159673746011/how-to-structure-a-deal-with-north-korea">How to Structure a Deal With North Korea</a>, Apr 17<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/159526704931/us-and-russian-relationship-at-a-low" target="_blank">U.S. and Russian Relationship at a Low?</a>, Apr 13<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/159495094661/the-north-korea-reframe" target="_blank">The North Korea Reframe</a>, Apr 12<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/159418166356/trusting-your-government-in-a-time-of-war" target="_blank">Trusting Your Government in a Time of War</a>, Apr 10<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/159300836386/the-syrian-air-base-attack" target="_blank">The Syrian Air Base Attack</a>, Apr 7<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/159264981001/the-syrian-gas-attack-persuasion" target="_blank">The Syrian Gas Attack Persuasion</a>, Apr 6<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/159226601511/how-a-hypnotist-sees-a-verbal-slip">How a Hypnotist Sees a Verbal Slip</a>, Apr 5<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>March 2017</strong></span><br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/158964329946/the-systems-president">The Systems President</a>, Mar 29, You can look at the house healthcare efforts as a failure or as a step towards an ultimately successful health care effort.<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/158812654486/trump-and-healthcare">Trump and Healthcare</a>, Mar 25, Not really about healthcare, but rather Trump gets promoted from perception of Hitler to merely incompetent<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/158646226011/my-take-on-wiretapping-trump-and-comey">My Take on Wiretapping, Trump, and Comey</a>, Mar 20<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/158474419751/how-to-leak-like-a-master-persuader">How to Leak Like a Master Persuader</a>, Mar 16<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/158393174381/tracking-my-persuasion">Tracking My Persuasion</a>, Mar 14, Another Not Trump article, more an ad for his book.<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/158361670451/two-more-movies-on-one-screen">Two More Movies on One Screen</a>, Mar 13 Not about Trump, but definitely about persuasion.<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/158211182101/could-cognitive-scientists-eliminate-isis" target="_blank">Could Cognitive Scientists Eliminate ISIS?</a>, Mar 9<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/158192839741/income-inequality" target="_blank">Income Inequality</a>, Mar 9<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/158110404781/wiretapping-word-thinking">Wiretapping Word-Thinking</a>, Mar 7<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/157989057151/am-i-predicting-or-influencing" target="_blank">Am I Predicting or Influencing?</a>, Mar 5<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/157904840851/dopamine-puppets">Dopamine Puppets</a>, Mar 2<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/157873916576/i-talk-about-president-trumps-speech-on-youtube" target="_blank">I Talk about President Trump’s Speech on YouTube</a>, Mar 1<span id="goog_1076518070"></span><span id="goog_1076518071"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/157865134106/president-trumps-speech-last-night">President Trump’s Speech Last Night</a>, Mar 1, Scott things Trump killed the SOTU<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">February 2017</span></strong><br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/157533827741/persuasion-advice-for-african-americans">Persuasion Advice for African-Americans</a>, Feb 21<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/157498251636/de-hypnotizing-a-climate-science-zombie">De-hypnotizing a Climate Science Zombie</a>, Feb 20<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/157495214956/trump-and-sweden">Trump and Sweden</a>, Feb 20, Link to <a href="https://t.co/Lwnkfq43Gz" target="_blank">this youtube</a>. Is Trump the crazy one, or are his critics?<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/157358914491/imaginary-news" target="_blank">Imaginary News</a>, Feb 17<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/157317171676/how-to-evaluate-a-president">How to Evaluate a President</a>, Feb 17<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/157277690511/how-to-persuade-the-other-party">How to Persuade the Other Party</a>, Feb 15<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/157149611381/good-example-of-our-two-movie-reality">Good Example of Our Two-Movie Reality</a>, Feb 12<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/157072093411/about-the-97-of-climate-scientists" target="_blank">About the 97% of Climate Scientists</a>, Feb 10<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/156857834926/sam-harris-induces-cognitive-dissonance-in-ben">Sam Harris Induces Cognitive Dissonance in Ben Affleck</a>, Feb 5<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/156850873521/a-thought-experiment-about-republicans" target="_blank">A Thought Experiment About Republicans</a>, Feb 5<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/156806516721/the-social-media-hive-mind" target="_blank">The Social Media Hive Mind</a>, Feb 4<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/156804833096/the-persuasion-advantage-and-climate-science" target="_blank">The Persuasion Advantage and Climate Science</a>, Feb 4<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/156778990841/berkeley-and-hitler" target="_blank">Berkeley and Hitler,</a> Feb 3<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/156711454356/president-trump-and-the-other-countries" target="_blank">President Trump and the Other Countries</a>, Feb 2, <b>You</b> can't tell the difference between rudeness and good negotiation based on limited information<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/156672488391/the-odds-of-being-killed-by-an-immigrant">Introducing the Chaos Drinking Game</a>, Feb 1<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/156672488391/the-odds-of-being-killed-by-an-immigrant">Hypnotists Flips Pro-Choicers to Pro-Life in Seconds (I explain how)</a>, Feb 1<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/156672488391/the-odds-of-being-killed-by-an-immigrant">The Odds of Being Killed by an Immigrant</a>, Feb 1<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">January 2017</span></strong><br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/156628357041/is-president-trump-doing-management-wrong">Is President Trump Doing Management Wrong?</a>, Jan 31<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/156591306416/the-persuasion-filter-looks-at-torture-does-it">The Persuasion Filter Looks at Torture. Does it Work?</a>, Jan 30<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/156544714786/the-canadian-option">The Canadian Option</a>, Jan 29<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/156540315831/be-careful-what-you-wish-for-especially-if-it-is">Be Careful What You Wish For (especially if it is Hitler)</a>, Jan 29<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/156532225711/the-persuasion-filter-and-immigration" target="_blank">The Persuasion Filter and Immigration</a>, Jan 27, Muslim ban is a negotiating tactic<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/156399716951/outrage-dilution">Outrage Dilution</a>, Jan 26 "And when Trump has created a hundred reasons to complain, do you know what impression will be left with the public? He sure got a lot done." Like it or not.<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/156315793671/battle-of-the-hats">Battle of the Hats</a>, Jan 24 (Comparing MAGA hats to Pussy hats from a persuasion perspective)<br />
<br />Tony Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688318289784215712noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194600066391868656.post-76318904761279581342016-08-01T21:16:00.000-07:002016-08-01T21:16:00.995-07:00A Nerd's Introduction to Mental HealthNerdFitness is a nice site that covers a lot of stuff.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2016/06/20/a-nerds-introduction-to-mental-health/" target="_blank">A Nerd's Introduction to Mental Health</a><br />
<br />
Also a lot of other pages with good info.<br />
<br />
Here is a sampling:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2012/07/02/body-fat-percentage/" target="_blank">Everything You Need to Know About Body Fat Percentage</a><br />
<a href="http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2010/10/04/the-beginners-guide-to-the-paleo-diet/" target="_blank">The Beginner’s Guide to the Paleo Diet</a><br />
<a href="http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/" target="_blank">Meet Staci: Your New Powerlifting Super Hero</a> - Why you should build muscle rather than try to "tone"<br />
<br />
The also have a free app for iOS called <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/paleo-central/id579924486?mt=8" target="_blank">Paleo Central</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Tony Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688318289784215712noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194600066391868656.post-10458993961804693152015-12-21T08:22:00.001-08:002017-10-09T11:06:21.346-07:00Scott Adams' Series on Donald Trump (Master Wizard Persuasion)<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is the pre-inauguration page.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you are looking for the <a href="http://www.emotionsforengineers.com/2017/01/scott-adams-take-on-post-inauguration.html" target="_blank">post-inauguration page, go to this link.</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Scott Adams of Dilbert fame (</span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Scott-Adams/e/B000AP9MO0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&qid=1451071151&sr=8-2-ent&tag=emotforengi-20&linkId=CR526WX535JO4N2D" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Scott Adams' Amazon Page</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=emotforengi-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="margin: 0px;" width="1" /><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">) has been doing a series of posts about Donald Trump since August of 2015. He is not endorsing Trump as President, but rather pointing out a different perspective on his hi-jinx. Edit: on Oct. 24, 2016, Scott endorsed Trump finally.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Scott's final post before the inaugurations links to <a href="https://cdn.whenhub.com/v1/player/player.html?element-id=588226792b94b529acb1b590&schedule-id=588226792b94b529acb1b58f&host-page-url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.dilbert.com%2Fpost%2F156127863361%2Fa-look-back-at-my-trump-predictions" target="_blank">this link,</a> which is generated using WhenHub his new startup.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica";"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "helvetica";"><em>Please note: I will continue to update this post until the inauguration. At that point, I will start a new one. This time, I will put the newer posts at the top though. I think that works better.</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica";"><br /></span>
<br />
I can't tell you if Adams is right about Trump's style and choices, but it is fascinating reading. So I decided to document and keep a running page with the Trump Persuasion series. You can also click on the hashtags on his blog, but I like to have this list.<br />
<br />
For the record, I am not in any way endorsing Trump, or anyone else either. So what follows is a compilation of all of Scott's posts on Trump and his presidential run starting in July 2015.<br />
<br />
<b>Postscript:</b> Scott got it right. Last August, he said that Trump had persuasion skills seldom seen. He said that Trump would win by a landslide. Not just the Republican primaries, but the general election. He stuck to that all the way through and asked his readers to keep an open mind and look at the world through a different lens. That lens has resulted in perhaps the only correct forecast in the World of this election. He did not hit every intermediate point perfectly, and the general election was not a landslide, but the perspective resulted in a correct prediction well before anybody saw it coming. He focused on the system and positioning that Trump used throughout.<br />
<br />
Now moving forward what happens? More later.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">July 2015</span></b><br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/123031431246/outragists-attack-trump-and-win" target="_blank">Outragists Attack Trump and Win</a>, July 2, 2015 (It's possible that there are earlier posts, but this is as far as I went.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">August 2015</span></b><br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/125930283831/how-trump-becomes-president" target="_blank">How Trump Becomes President</a>, Aug 5, 2015<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/126377147706/trumps-plan-to-put-a-ring-around-isis" target="_blank">Trump's Plan to Put a Ring Around Isis</a>, Aug 10, 2015<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/126589300371/clown-genius" target="_blank">Clown Genius</a>, Aug 13, 2015. <span style="background-color: #fce5cd;">Scott says this is the most important post.</span><br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/126675024361/can-we-call-a-trump-puppet-a-trumpet" target="_blank">Can We Call a Trump Puppet a Trumpet?</a>, August 14, 2015<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/126916006856/wizard-wars" target="_blank">Wizard Wars</a>, August 17, 2015. <span style="background-color: orange;">This is the post where Adams really lays out his hypothesis.</span><br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/127079241801/political-reporters-cover-a-business-candidate" target="_blank">Political Reporters Cover a Business Candidate</a>, August 19, 2015. Bonus Thought 4 - Trump will select the next President<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/127158474091/anchors-away" target="_blank">Anchors Away,</a> Aug 20, 2105<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/127479255236/trump-vs-bush-persuasion-wars" target="_blank">Trump VS Bush: Persuasion Wars</a>, Aug 24, 2015<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/127604348746/trump-makes-univision-do-the-perp-walk" target="_blank">Trump Makes Univision Do The Perp Walk</a>, Aug 25<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/127642643841/the-third-way-on-immigration-sort-of-a-trump" target="_blank">The Third Way on Immigration (Sort of a Trump Post)</a>, August 26<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/127679591936/trump-persuasion-alert-bible-dodge" target="_blank">Trump Persuasion Alert: Bible Dodge</a>, Aug 26<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/127715904536/trump-persuasion-alert-the-bush-slayer-comment" target="_blank">Trump Persuasion Alert: The Bush-slayer Comment</a>, Aug 27<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/127791494211/nate-silver-gives-trump-2-chance-of-getting" target="_blank">Nate Silver Gives Trump 2% Chance of Getting Nominated</a>, Aug 28<a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/127793580186/trump-and-godwins-law" target="_blank">Trump and Godwin’s Law</a>, Aug 28<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/128029718551/trump-engineers-a-clinton-linguistic-kill-shot" target="_blank">Trump Engineers a Clinton Linguistic Kill Shot</a>, Aug 31<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/128062518321/robots-read-news-about-celebrity-apprentice" target="_blank">Robots Read News - about Celebrity Apprentice</a>, Aug 31<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">September 2015</span></b><br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/128110686176/identifying-the-smart-voters" target="_blank">Identifying the Smart Voters</a>, Sep 1, 2015. All about Cognitive Dissonance<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/128124479141/trump-the-bad-system-linguistic-bayonette">Trump: The “Bad System” Linguistic Bayonette</a>, Sep 1<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/128267369491/the-tells-for-cognitive-dissonance">The Tells (for cognitive dissonance),</a> Sep 3<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/128293194501/then-you-own-the-bank-part-of-my-trump-persuasion">Then You Own the Bank (part of my Trump Persuasion Series)</a>, Sep 3<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/128334919441/the-time-of-kings">The Time of Kings</a>, Sep 4. Not about Trump specifically, but clever<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/128401835811/nice-guy-part-of-my-trump-persuasion-series">“Nice Guy” - Part of my Trump Persuasion Series</a>, Sep 5<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/128443473346/cognitive-dissonance-you-be-the-judge">Cognitive Dissonance: You be the Judge</a>, Sep 5<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/128474925371/how-to-spot-a-wizard">How to Spot a Wizard</a>, Sep 6<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/128552964506/the-outsider-explanation-part-of-my-trump">The “Outsider” Explanation - Part of my Trump Persuasion Series</a>, Sep 7<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/128560332086/obama-the-stealth-wizard">Obama the Stealth Wizard</a>, Sep 7<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/128636773596/the-time-of-kings-explained">The Time of Kings - Explained</a>, Sep 8. A follow-up to Time of Kings above.<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/128709386661/a-demonstration-of-persuasion-part-of-my-trump">A Demonstration of Persuasion - Part of my Trump Series</a>, Sep 9<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/128712489591/unknown-wizard-delivers-linguistic-kill-shot-via">Unknown Wizard Delivers Linguistic Kill Shot via Twitter</a>, Sep 9<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/128776840091/trump-engineers-a-linguistic-kill-shot-for-fiorina">Trump Engineers a Linguistic Kill Shot for Fiorina</a>, Sep 10<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/128844698316/who-is-smarter-the-smart-people-or-the-dumb">Who is Smarter - the Smart People or the Dumb People? - Part of My Trump Persuasion Series,</a> Sep 11<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/128930629301/odds-of-a-kanye-west-presidency-90" target="_blank">Odds of a Kanye West Presidency: 90%</a>, Sep 12<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/129073948496/the-trump-versus-sanders-match-up-part-of-the" target="_blank">The Trump Versus Sanders Match-up: Part of the Trump Persuasion Series</a>, Sep 14<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/129099992491/the-daily-beast-reports-on-my-trump-posts" target="_blank">The Daily Beast Reports on My Trump Posts</a>, Sep 14. <a href="http://thebea.st/1gn5rFf" target="_blank">Link to the Beast Article</a>.<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/129148631841/2-d-chess-players-take-on-a-3-d-chess-master-part" target="_blank">2-D Chess Players Take on a 3-D Chess Master (Part of my Trump Persuasion Series)</a>, Sep 15<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/129215160011/why-trump-insults-people-part-of-my-trump" target="_blank">Why Trump Insults People - Part of my Trump Persuasion Series</a>, Sep 16<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/129281836306/wizard-attacks-wizard-the-trump-persuasion" target="_blank">Wizard Attacks Wizard - The Trump Persuasion Series</a>, Sep 17<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/129289732811/carly-fiorina-and-the-wizard-filter" target="_blank">Carly Fiorina and the Wizard Filter</a>, Sep 17<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/129348531446/when-wives-attack-trump-persuasion-series" target="_blank">When Wives Attack - Trump Persuasion Series</a>, Sep 18<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/129352181411/people-who-dont-know-how-business-works-trump" target="_blank">People Who Don’t Know How Business Works - Trump Persuasion Series</a>. Sep 18<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/129376931326/trump-linguistic-kill-shot-alert" target="_blank">Trump Linguistic Kill Shot Alert!</a>, Sep 18<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/129416772611/running-against-a-branding-wizard-trump-series" target="_blank">Running Against a Branding Wizard - Trump Series</a>, Sep 19<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/129433801521/thinking-past-the-sale-trump-persuasion-series" target="_blank">Thinking Past the Sale - Trump Persuasion Series</a>, Sep 19<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/129442513316/checking-my-gender-bias-master-wizard-hypothesis" target="_blank">Checking My Gender Bias - Master Wizard Hypothesis</a>, Sep 19<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/129487135116/calling-jimmy-from-the-third-dimension" target="_blank">Calling Jimmy from the Third Dimension</a>, Sep 20<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/129550220061/who-is-the-better-business-person-trump-or" target="_blank">Who is the Better Business Person - Trump or Fiorina?</a>, Sep 21<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/129571023706/obama-vs-iran-who-is-the-wizard" target="_blank">Obama Vs. Iran - Who is the Wizard?</a>, Sep 21<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/129579175281/a-clarification" target="_blank">A Clarification</a>, Sep 21<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/129713033741/the-reason-for-trumps-success" target="_blank">The “Reason” for Trump’s Success</a>, Sep 23<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/129784168866/the-persuasion-reading-list" target="_blank">The Persuasion Reading List</a>, Sep 24, <span style="background-color: #fce5cd;">Scott's list of books about persuasion</span><br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/129847513336/opinion-vs-stupidity" target="_blank">Opinion Vs. Stupidity</a>, Sep 25. Not about Trump, but interesting.<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/129995649271/violating-the-wizard-prime-directive" target="_blank">Violating the Wizard Prime Directive</a>, Sep 27<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/130132336481/historys-first-quadruple-wizard" target="_blank">History’s First Quadruple-Wizard</a>, Sep 29<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">October 2016</span></b><br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/130269114086/one-on-one-match-ups-trump-persuasion-series" target="_blank">One-on-One Match-ups - Trump Persuasion Series</a>, Oct 1<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/130292490926/robots-read-news-endorses-candidate" target="_blank">Robots Read News Endorses Candidate</a>, Oct 1<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/130481922096/the-american-gun-problem-and-how-a-master-wizard" target="_blank">The American Gun Problem - And How a Master Wizard of Persuasion Could Fix it.</a>, Oct 4<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/130557062016/robots-read-news-about-humans-in-metal-cages" target="_blank">Robots Read News - About Humans in Metal Cages</a>, Oct 5<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/130618359971/the-trump-confidence-thing" target="_blank">The Trump Confidence Thing</a>, Oct 6. <a href="http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/10/donald-trump-2016-norman-vincent-peale-213220" target="_blank">Here's the Politico link</a>.<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/130624673286/president-obama-wizard-or-failure" target="_blank">President Obama: Wizard or Failure?</a>, Oct 6<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/130642679656/my-explanation-of-trumps-persuasion-skills-for" target="_blank">My Explanation of Trump’s Persuasion Skills for Reason.com</a>, Oct 6. <a href="https://reason.com/reasontv/2015/10/06/dilberts-scott-adams-politics-philosophy" target="_blank">Reason.com video clip</a><br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/130823488426/tells-for-cognitive-dissonance-with-some-trump" target="_blank">Tells for Cognitive Dissonance (with some Trump flavoring)</a>, Oct 9<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/130880041216/narcissistic-accuser-syndrome" target="_blank">Narcissistic Accuser Syndrome</a>, Oct 10<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/130951717901/does-trump-linguistically-engineer-his-insults" target="_blank">Does Trump Linguistically Engineer His Insults?</a>, Oct 11<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/131021852431/who-will-bill-clinton-vote-for" target="_blank">Who Will Bill Clinton Vote for?</a>, Oct 12<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/131152869711/master-wizard-filter-on-the-democratic-debate" target="_blank">Master Wizard Filter on the Democratic Debate</a>, Oct 14<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/131284375221/tony-robbins-explains-how-to-beat-trump" target="_blank">Tony Robbins Explains How to Beat Trump</a>, Oct 16<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/131416256821/trumps-persuasiveness-per-the-washington-post" target="_blank">Trump’s Persuasiveness - per the Washington Post</a>, Oct 18<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/131552504961/trumps-third-act-part-of-the-trump-persuasion" target="_blank">Trump’s Third Act (Part of the Trump Persuasion Series)</a>, Oct 20<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/131576117051/master-wizard-filter-scorecard" target="_blank">Master Wizard Filter Scorecard</a>, Oct 20<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/131624548446/robots-read-news-about-trump-and-jeb" target="_blank">Robots Read News - about Trump and Jeb</a>, Oct 21<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/131681830386/the-alpha-in-the-room" target="_blank">The Alpha in the Room</a>, Oct 22<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/131693109326/master-wizard-filter-netanyahu" target="_blank">Master Wizard Filter - Netanyahu?</a>, Oct 22, <a href="http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-brilliance-of-bibis-big-lie-a-dramatization/" target="_blank">Link to referenced article.</a><br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/131749156346/the-case-for-a-trump-landslide-part-1" target="_blank">The Case for a Trump Landslide (Part 1)</a>, Oct 23<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/131806160106/how-persuasion-hides" target="_blank">How Persuasion Hides,</a> Oct 24<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/131878285426/talking-like-a-fourth-grader-part-of-my-trump" target="_blank">Talking Like a Fourth-Grader (Part of my Trump Persuasion Series)</a>, Oct 25<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/131952466891/how-a-hypnotist-would-solve-isis" target="_blank">How a Hypnotist Would Solve ISIS,</a> Oct 26. Not Trump, but related.<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/131997255161/trumps-town-hall-performance-give-him-a-grade" target="_blank">Trump’s Town Hall Performance - Give Him a Grade</a>, Oct 26<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/132213924466/economics-and-expectations-with-a-trump-point" target="_blank">Economics and Expectations (with a Trump point)</a>, Oct 30<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/132270869671/trumps-selfish-motives-please-explain-them-to" target="_blank">Trump’s Selfish Motives (Please explain them to me)</a>, Oct 31<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>November 2015</b></span><br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/132408086396/why-donald-trump-will-ruin-the-world" target="_blank">Why Donald Trump will Ruin the World</a>, Nov 2<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/132602985596/the-cage-fight-president" target="_blank">The Cage Fight President</a>, Nov 5<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/132667328016/the-upside-of-ben-carson" target="_blank">The Upside of Ben Carson</a>, Nov 6<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/133071631916/election-notes-trump-and-stuff" target="_blank">Election Notes (Trump and Stuff)</a>, Nov 12<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/133133670296/trump-on-carson" target="_blank">Trump on Carson</a>, Nov 13<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/133345316891/cognitive-dissonance-update-1" target="_blank">Cognitive Dissonance Update 1</a>, Nov 16<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/133530009436/trumps-current-odds" target="_blank">Trump’s Current Odds,</a> Nov 19<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/134003720926/trump-trouble-report" target="_blank">Trump Trouble Report</a>, Nov 26<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/134199547831/how-trump-can-solve-immigration" target="_blank">How Trump Can Solve Immigration</a>, Nov 29<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>December 2015</b></span><br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/134397416141/trumps-favorability-part-of-my-trump" target="_blank">Trump’s Favorability - (part of my Trump Persuasion series)</a>, Dec 2<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/134465690536/my-prediction-about-my-predictions-trump" target="_blank">My Prediction about My Predictions (Trump Persuasion Series)</a>, Dec 3<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/134531690571/what-the-heck-is-fascism" target="_blank">What the Heck is Fascism?</a>, Dec 4<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/134724977001/how-to-stop-that-hitler-like-deportation-you-fear" target="_blank">How to Stop that Hitler-like Deportation You Fear</a>, Dec 7<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/134791529391/risk-management-trump-persuasion-series" target="_blank">Risk Management - (Trump Persuasion Series)</a>, Dec 8<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/134861704021/my-offer-to-stop-donald-trump" target="_blank">My Offer to Stop Donald Trump</a>, Dec 9<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/134922324241/the-trump-immigration-surprise-the-trap-is" target="_blank">The Trump Immigration Surprise - the Trap is Half-Sprung</a>, Dec 10<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/135003568861/master-persuader-update-part-of-my-trump-series" target="_blank">Master Persuader Update (Part of My Trump Series)</a>, Dec 11<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/135152311211/calling-the-clinton-top-trump-persuasion-series" target="_blank">Calling the Clinton Top (Trump Persuasion Series)</a>, Dec 13<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/135187141181/immigration-without-the-hate-part-trump-related" target="_blank">Immigration Without the Hate Part (Trump-related)</a>, Dec 14<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/135197159371/a-voters-guide-to-thinking" target="_blank">A Voter’s Guide to Thinking</a>, Dec 14<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/135255307536/an-unusual-argument-for-electing-hillary-clinton" target="_blank">An Unusual Argument for Electing Hillary Clinton</a>, Dec 15<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/135287298621/master-persuader-update-slip-of-the-tongue" target="_blank">Master Persuader Update - Slip of the Tongue (Trump series)</a>, Dec 15<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/135324448866/the-lucky-hitler-hypothesis-trump-persuasion" target="_blank">The Lucky Hitler Hypothesis (Trump Persuasion Series)</a>, Dec 16<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/135444470671/the-master-persuader-filter-on-michael-moore" target="_blank">The Master Persuader Filter on Michael Moore</a>, Dec 18<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/135466909556/robots-read-news-about-the-sanders-campaign" target="_blank">Robots Read News about the Sanders Campaign Accessing Clinton Voter Data</a>, Dec 18<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/135642943636/robots-read-news-about-hitlers-testicles" target="_blank">Robots Read News - About Hitler’s Testicles</a>, Dec 21 (Trump Humor)<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/135653842066/and-then-this-happened-trump-persuasion-series" target="_blank">And Then This Happened (Trump Persuasion Series)</a>, Dec 21. <a href="http://www.salon.com/2015/12/21/the_media_needs_to_stop_telling_this_lie_about_donald_trump_im_a_sanders_supporter_and_value_honesty/" target="_blank">Link to Salon article.</a><br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/135710275541/a-deeply-unscientific-test-of-your-political-bias" target="_blank">A Deeply Unscientific Test of Your Political Bias (Trump Persuasion Series)</a>, Dec 22<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/135736726376/target-practice-for-robots" target="_blank">Target Practice for Robots</a>, Dec 23<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/135843315021/the-master-persuader-filter-and-trumps-schlong" target="_blank">The Master Persuader Filter and Trump’s Schlong,</a> Dec 24<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/135897508436/master-persuader-scorecard-update-clinton-top" target="_blank">Master Persuader Scorecard Update - Clinton Top?</a>, Dec 25<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/136042658956/is-iowa-a-caucus-or-a-mental-health-problem">Is Iowa a Caucus or a Mental Health Problem? (Trump Master Persuader Series)</a>, Dec 27<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/136213376041/the-time-i-got-promoted-to-nobody" target="_blank">The Time I Got Promoted to Nobody</a>, Dec 29<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/136261193951/ranking-the-best-political-pundits-of-2015" target="_blank">Ranking the Best Political Pundits of 2015</a>, Dec 30<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/136272216441/trumps-language-skills-analyzed" target="_blank">Trump’s Language Skills Analyzed</a>, Dec 30<br />
<br />
<br />
<b style="font-size: x-large;">January 2016</b><br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/136462438156/master-persuader-scorecard-update-10-out-of-10">Master Persuader Scorecard Update: 10-out-of-10 Coming?</a>, Jan 2, 2016<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/136548610591/master-persuasion-hypothesis-try-this-one-at" target="_blank">Master Persuasion Hypothesis - (Try this one at home)</a>, Jan 3<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/136606871806/persuasion-or-coincidence" target="_blank">Persuasion or Coincidence?</a>, Jan 4<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/136612798856/trumps-first-ad-master-persuader-filter" target="_blank">Trump’s First Ad (Master Persuader Filter)</a>, Jan 4<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/136631075311/master-persuader-scorecard-update-jan-4" target="_blank">Master Persuader Scorecard (Update Jan 4)</a>, Jan 4<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/136678424156/comparing-the-candidates-using-the-master" target="_blank">Comparing the Candidates (Using the Master Persuader Filter)</a>, Jan 5<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/136681978121/making-mexico-pay-for-the-wall" target="_blank">Making Mexico Pay for the Wall</a>, Jan 5<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/136688410576/the-amazon-gift-predictor-trump-master-persuader" target="_blank">The Amazon Gift Predictor (Trump Master Persuader Series)</a>, Jan 5<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/136749788476/the-canadian-gambit-trump-persuasion-series" target="_blank">The Canadian Gambit (Trump Persuasion Series)</a>, Jan 6<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/136818042136/trump-and-climate-science-master-persuader" target="_blank">Trump and Climate Science (Master Persuader Series)</a>, Jan 7<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/136842700966/the-thought-police-did-not-like-it-when-i-said" target="_blank">The Thought Police Did Not Like it When I Said Something Like This</a>, Jan 7<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/136879450111/working-on-the-white-guy-brand" target="_blank">Working on the White Guy Brand</a>, Jan 8<br />
<a href="http://why%20i%20should%20win%20the%20nobel%20prize%20%28and%20other%20things%20i%20learned%20from%20trump%29/" target="_blank">Why I Should Win the Nobel Prize (and other things I learned from Trump)</a>, Jan 8<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/136947121656/politico-tries-to-trump-me-on-the-turn" target="_blank">Politico Tries to Trump Me on “The Turn”, Jan 9</a><br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/136950092871/why-would-a-man-vote-for-hillary-clinton" target="_blank">Why Would a Man Vote for Hillary Clinton?</a>, Jan 9<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/136958817396/the-laugh-tell-trump-master-persuader-series" target="_blank">The Laugh Tell (Trump Master Persuader Series)</a>, Jan 9<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/137088366306/the-iowa-reframing" target="_blank">The Iowa Reframing</a>, Jan 11<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/137089875456/the-oddest-thing-about-trump" target="_blank">The Oddest Thing About Trump</a>, Jan 11<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/137137359536/today-i-help-you-see-the-future" target="_blank">Today I Help You See the Future</a>, Jan 11<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/137154519751/men-confess-your-support-for-hillary-clinton" target="_blank">Men: Confess Your Support for Hillary Clinton</a>, Jan 12<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/137221841136/charisma-vs-danger-master-persuader-series" target="_blank">Charisma Vs. Danger (Master Persuader Series)</a>, Jan 13<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/137284721621/the-candidate-supporter-stereotypes-master" target="_blank">The Candidate Supporter Stereotypes (Master Persuader Series)</a>, Jan 14<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/137347195831/master-persuader-scorecard-for-the-gop-debate" target="_blank">Master Persuader Scorecard for the GOP Debate</a>, Jan 15<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/137353510616/robots-read-news-about-trumps-offer-tono">Robots Read News about Trump’s Offer to…(no spoilers!)</a>, Jan 15<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/137375194651/the-biggest-trump-story-that-you-missed-master" target="_blank">The Biggest Trump Story That You Missed (Master Persuasion Series)</a>, Jan 15<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/137483041251/trump-master-persuader-quiz-what-would-you-do" target="_blank">Trump Master Persuader Quiz: What Would YOU Do?</a>, Jan 17<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/137553865746/the-matriarchy-patriarchy-continuum" target="_blank">The Matriarchy - Patriarchy Continuum</a>, Jan 18<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/137622580016/robots-read-news-about-british-politicians-and" target="_blank">Robots Read News about British Politicians and Trump</a>, Jan 19<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/137626455331/trumps-dog-problem" target="_blank">Trump’s Dog Problem</a>, Jan 19<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/137647328886/the-palin-endorsement-master-persuader-series" target="_blank">The Palin Endorsement (Master Persuader Series)</a>, Jan 19<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/137689680866/the-gender-card-top" target="_blank">The Gender Card Top</a>, Jan 20<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/137695003821/boycott-valentines-day" target="_blank">Boycott Valentines Day?</a>, Jan 20<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/137735099981/master-persuader-scorecard-iran-update" target="_blank">Master Persuader Scorecard - Iran Update</a>, Jan 21<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/137749295801/trumps-talent-stack-systems-versus-goals" target="_blank">Trump’s Talent Stack: Systems versus Goals</a>, Jan 21<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/137759292281/bernie-sanders-turns-on-the-iowa-afterburners" target="_blank">Bernie Sanders Turns on the Iowa Afterburners</a>, Jan 21<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/137816083466/updating-the-persuasion-stack-national-reviews" target="_blank">Updating the Persuasion Stack (National Review’s Trump Cover)</a>, Jan 22<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/138023808851/the-second-american-revolution-what-then" target="_blank">The Second American Revolution - What Then?</a>, Jan 25<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/138125409321/trump-fox-news-and-megyn-kelly-explained-master" target="_blank">Trump, FOX News, and Megyn Kelly Explained (Master Persuader Series)</a>, Jan 26<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/138214308881/the-fake-because" target="_blank">The Fake “Because”</a>, Jan 27<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/138279819081/master-persuader-scorecard-on-the-trumpless-debate" target="_blank">Master Persuader Scorecard on the Trumpless Debate</a>, Jan 29<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/138352951511/persuader-fingerprints">Persuader Fingerprints</a>, Jan 30<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">February 2016</span></strong><br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/138477602811/fire-the-government-and-why-obamacare-is-great">Fire the Government (And Why Obamacare is Great!)</a>, Feb 1<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/138484797336/can-a-master-persuader-reverse-hate" target="_blank">Can a Master Persuader Reverse Hate?</a>, Feb 1<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/138493982111/the-cruz-prophesy" target="_blank">The Cruz Prophesy</a>, Feb 1. <a href="http://amzn.to/1nAAmSc" target="_blank">This</a> is the book he references.<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/138541628036/news-flash-cartoonist-gets-one-wrong" target="_blank">News Flash: Cartoonist Gets One Wrong!</a>, Feb 2<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/138608871076/new-hampshire-prediction-master-persuader-series" target="_blank">New Hampshire Prediction (Master Persuader Series)</a>, Feb 3<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/138667882836/scoring-my-iowa-fraud-call" target="_blank">Scoring My Iowa Fraud Call</a>, Feb 4<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/138669227401/spooky-alert-spooky-alert" target="_blank">Spooky Alert! Spooky Alert!</a>, Feb 4<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/138701540441/the-pledge-of-allegiance" target="_blank">The Pledge of Allegiance</a>, Feb 4<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/138729002731/friday-trump-joke" target="_blank">Friday Trump Joke</a>, Feb 5<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/138858676626/the-gop-debate-scorecard-master-persuader-series" target="_blank">The GOP Debate Scorecard (Master Persuader Series)</a>, Feb 7<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/138925920596/new-hampshire-election-fraud-prediction" target="_blank">New Hampshire Election Fraud Prediction</a>, Feb 8<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/138990531696/the-thinking-filters">The Thinking Filters</a>, Feb 9<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/138996353636/the-movie-persuasion-filter" target="_blank">The Movie Persuasion Filter</a>, Feb 9<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/139052404076/my-new-hampshire-prediction-scorecard" target="_blank">My New Hampshire Prediction Scorecard</a>, Feb 10<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/139119223061/why-does-trump-terrify-people" target="_blank">Why Does Trump Terrify People?</a>, Feb 11<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/139172970011/policies-and-name-recognition-trump-persuasion">Policies and Name Recognition (Trump Persuasion Series)</a>, Feb 12<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/139421165806/scalia-and-the-pillow" target="_blank">Scalia and the Pillow</a>, Feb 16<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/139541975641/the-trump-master-persuader-index-and-reading-list" target="_blank">The Trump Master Persuader Index and Reading List</a>, Feb 18 - Scott replicates this list and includes a link to his<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/129784168866/the-persuasion-reading-list" target="_blank"> persuasion reading list</a> from Sept 24, 2015<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/139580016696/the-pope-versus-donald-trump" target="_blank">The Pope Versus Donald Trump</a>, Feb 18<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/139789877466/solving-for-scary-trump-persuasion-series" target="_blank">Solving for Scary (Trump Persuasion Series)</a>, Feb 22<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/139812618611/my-cnn-interview-about-trump" target="_blank">My CNN Interview About Trump</a>, Feb 22<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/139857825761/some-respect-for-hillary-clinton" target="_blank">Some Respect for Hillary Clinton</a>, Feb 23<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/139910704581/how-to-spot-a-narcissist-trump-persuasion-series" target="_blank">How to Spot a Narcissist (Trump Persuasion Series)</a>, Feb 24<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/140028326981/the-choke-artist-versus-the-watch-salesman-trump" target="_blank">The Choke Artist Versus the Watch Salesman (Trump Persuasion Series)</a>, Feb 26<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/140155514891/disavowing-trump" target="_blank">Disavowing Trump</a>, Feb 28<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/140221888776/movie-persuasion-recommendations">Movie Persuasion Recommendations</a>, Feb 29<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/140223943526/trumps-vp-options-master-persuader-filter">Trump’s VP Options (Master Persuader Filter)</a>, Feb 29<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">March 2016</span></strong><br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/140272615821/strategic-ambiguity-master-persuasion-series" target="_blank">Strategic Ambiguity (Master Persuasion Series)</a>, Mar 1<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/140333940251/super-tuesday-master-persuader-series" target="_blank">Super Tuesday (Master Persuader Series)</a>, Mar 2<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/140353736681/a-letter-to-donald-trump-from-a-voter-not-me" target="_blank">A Letter to Donald Trump (from a voter, not me)</a>, Mar 2<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/140394690491/naming-romneys-upcoming-anti-trump-speech" target="_blank">Naming Romney’s Upcoming Anti-Trump Speech</a>, Mar 3<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/140448435486/republican-debate-march-3-scorecard-master" target="_blank">Republican Debate (March 3) Scorecard (Master Persuader Series)</a>, Mar 4<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/140471111441/the-power-of-ideas" target="_blank">The Power of Ideas</a>, Mar 4<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/140572330971/scott-adams-on-fox-and-friends-clip" target="_blank">Scott Adams on Fox and Friends (clip)</a>, Mar 6. and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iB4jK-mQCug&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">here's the link to the interview</a><br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/140631008436/the-conservative-con-master-persuader-series" target="_blank">The Conservative Con (Master Persuader Series)</a>, Mar 7<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/140686771901/another-way-to-make-mexico-pay-for-the-wall-trump" target="_blank">Another Way to Make Mexico Pay for The Wall (Trump Persuasion Series)</a>, Mar 8<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/140688776816/resort-usa" target="_blank">Resort USA</a>, Mar 8<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/140752860706/who-trump-offends-with-his-salty-language" target="_blank">Who Trump Offends with His Salty Language</a>, Mar 9<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/140800778006/lets-talk-about-hitler" target="_blank">Let’s Talk About Hitler</a>, Mar 10<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/140857419526/gop-debate-scorecard-march-10-master-persuader" target="_blank">GOP Debate Scorecard - March 10 (Master Persuader Series)</a>, Mar 11<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/140995102361/the-trump-riots-that-are-mostly-my-fault" target="_blank">The Trump Riots That are Mostly My Fault</a>, Mar 13<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/141090636816/donald-trump-con-man" target="_blank">Donald Trump - Con Man</a>, Mar 15<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/141146589216/clinton-versus-trump" target="_blank">Clinton Versus Trump</a>, Mar 16<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/141164805651/real-donald-trump-quotes-about-women" target="_blank">Real Donald Trump Quotes about Women</a>, Mar 16<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/141202065606/stamina-trumps-lingistic-kill-shot-for-clinton" target="_blank">Stamina - Trump’s Lingistic Kill Shot for Clinton (Master Persuader Series)</a>, Mar 17<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/141230221836/how-to-know-trump-is-in-your-head" target="_blank">How to Know Trump is in Your Head</a>, Mar 17<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/141310196656/bumper-sticker-thinking" target="_blank">Bumper Sticker Thinking</a>, Mar 19<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/141428843311/social-media-is-the-new-government" target="_blank">Social Media is the New Government</a>, Mar 20<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/141490448161/the-belgium-analogy" target="_blank">The Belgium Analogy</a>, Mar 21<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/141545899386/sleeper-persuasion-with-a-trigger" target="_blank">Sleeper Persuasion with a Trigger</a>, Mar 22<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/141605245101/whos-afraid-of-donald-trump" target="_blank">Who’s Afraid of Donald Trump?</a>, Mar 24<br />
<div>
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/141657128476/the-sarcasm-tell-with-an-absurd-absolute" target="_blank">The Sarcasm Tell (With an Absurd Absolute)</a>, Mar 25<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/141810560316/the-elbonian-zombie-virus" target="_blank">The Elbonian Zombie Virus</a>, Mar 28<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/141900538166/using-persuasion-to-solve-everything" target="_blank">Using Persuasion to Solve Everything</a>, Mar 29</div>
<div>
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/142015399311/trump-and-abortion" target="_blank">Trump and Abortion</a>, Mar 31<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">April 2016</span></strong><br />
<div>
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/142241536401/derailing-the-trump-train" target="_blank">Derailing the Trump Train</a>, Apr 4<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/142294599851/the-presidential-persuasion-pardon" target="_blank">The Presidential Persuasion Pardon</a>, Apr 5<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/142404699711/why-i-disagree-with-all-of-the-candidates" target="_blank">Why I Disagree With All of the Candidates</a>, Apr 7<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/142695885566/my-trump-ama-on-reddit" target="_blank">My Trump AMA on Reddit</a>, Apr 12<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/142742047411/bono-says-send-in-the-clowns" target="_blank">Bono Says Send in the Clowns</a>, Apr 13<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/142791072111/ayatollah-so" target="_blank">Ayatollah So</a>, Apr 14</div>
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/143006237056/the-trump-chess-board" target="_blank">The Trump Chess Board</a>, Apr 18<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/143058950221/the-value-of-not-voting">The Value of Not Voting</a>, Apr 19<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/143115363246/trump-dominates-the-empire-state" target="_blank">Trump Dominates the Empire State</a>, Apr 20<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/143164301421/how-powerful-is-persuasion" target="_blank">How Powerful is Persuasion?</a>, Apr 21<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/143378109231/cyberbombs-and-isis" target="_blank">Cyberbombs and ISIS</a>, Apr 25<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/143431313681/the-unfavorability-illusion" target="_blank">The Unfavorability Illusion</a>, Apr 26<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/143479429146/and-then-there-were-two" target="_blank">And Then There Were Two</a>, Apr 27<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/143532146726/can-trump-change-the-frame-on-his-perceived" target="_blank">Can Trump Change the Frame on His Perceived Sexism?</a>, Apr 28<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/143608135036/the-health-tell" target="_blank">The Health Tell</a>, Apr 29<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">May 2016</span></strong><br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/143691049446/say-goodbye-to-your-mind" target="_blank">Say Goodbye to Your Mind</a>, May 1<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/143789982926/clinton-versus-trump-persuasion-scores" target="_blank">Clinton Versus Trump - Persuasion Scores</a>, May 3<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/143843564806/how-to-do-persuasion-wrong" target="_blank">How to Do Persuasion Wrong</a>, May 4<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/143898615346/how-not-to-make-a-campaign-ad" target="_blank">How Not to Make a Campaign Ad</a>, May 5<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/144105138301/the-apology-gambit" target="_blank">The Apology Gambit</a>, May 9<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/144197811771/about-those-trump-policy-details" target="_blank">About Those Trump Policy Details</a>, May 11<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/144297633471/power-persuasion-and-attractiveness" target="_blank">Power, Persuasion, and Attractiveness</a>, May 13<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/144298567696/the-mother-of-all-campaign-errors" target="_blank">The Mother of All Campaign Errors</a>, May 13<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/144401966866/the-john-miller-thing" target="_blank">The John Miller Thing</a>, May 15<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/144452274506/reframing-our-problems" target="_blank">Reframing Our Problems</a>, May 16<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/144502903116/trumps-vp-pick-prediction" target="_blank">Trump’s VP Pick Prediction</a>, May 17<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/144505424481/impossible-to-ignore" target="_blank">Impossible To Ignore</a>, May 17<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/144554862006/excuse-me" target="_blank">“Excuse me”,</a> May 18<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/144606430606/evaluating-the-political-chess-board" target="_blank">Evaluating the Political Chess Board</a>, May 19<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/144652131766/being-memorable" target="_blank">Being Memorable</a>, May 20<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/144652969586/my-podcast-with-thor-about-trumps-persuasion" target="_blank">My Podcast with Thor (About Trump’s Persuasion)</a>, May 20<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/144816352346/battle-of-the-campaign-slogans" target="_blank">Battle of the Campaign Slogans</a>, May 23<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/144863220716/the-mark-cuban-factor" target="_blank">The Mark Cuban Factor</a>, May 24<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/144908299636/citizen-government" target="_blank">Citizen Government</a>, May 25<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/144955383691/the-sanders-debate-gambit" target="_blank">The Sanders Debate Gambit</a>, May 26<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/145006547006/when-art-directors-take-sides" target="_blank">When Art Directors Take Sides</a>, May 27<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/145153992666/how-to-hypnotize-bill-maher" target="_blank">How to Hypnotize Bill Maher</a>, May 30<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/145160928141/climate-change-and-trump" target="_blank">Climate Change and Trump</a>, May 30<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">June 2016</span></strong><br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/145309172876/the-risks-of-a-trump-presidency" target="_blank">The Risks of a Trump Presidency</a>, Jun 2<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/145354924661/now-its-a-fair-fight" target="_blank">Now It’s a Fair Fight</a>, Jun 3<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/145456082991/my-endorsement-for-president-of-the-united-states" target="_blank">My Endorsement for President of the United States</a>, Jun 5 Scott Endorses HRH for Self-protection<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/145560612726/the-robot-judge" target="_blank">The Robot Judge</a>, Jun 7<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/145668188291/trump-man-of-science" target="_blank">Trump: Man of Science?</a>, Jun 9<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/145856730936/the-orlando-trigger" target="_blank">The Orlando Trigger</a>, Jun 13<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/145861356006/some-of-my-tweets" target="_blank">Some of My Tweets</a>, Jun 13<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/145910635956/trumps-muslim-immigration-proposal-update" target="_blank">Trump’s Muslim Immigration Proposal (Update)</a>, Jun 14<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/145961268126/persuasion-think-ahead" target="_blank">Persuasion Think-ahead</a>, Jun 15<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/146042196361/wheres-that-trump-third-act" target="_blank">Where’s That Trump Third Act?</a>, Jun 16<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/146157026376/how-to-un-hypnotize-a-rabid-anti-trumper" target="_blank">How to Un-Hypnotize a Rabid Anti-Trumper</a>, Jun 19<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/146268246131/some-thoughts-about-lewandowski-campaign-funding" target="_blank">Some Thoughts about Lewandowski, Campaign Funding, and Safety,</a> Jun 21<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/146307088451/why-gun-control-cant-be-solved-in-the-usa" target="_blank">Why Gun Control Can’t Be Solved in the USA</a>, Jun 22<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/146361457021/the-humiliation-of-the-american-male-in-2016" target="_blank">The Humiliation of the American Male in 2016</a>, Jun 23<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/146605145036/persuasion-update-clinton-vs-trump" target="_blank">Persuasion Update: Clinton Vs. Trump</a>, Jun 28<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/146702643821/hypnotizing-my-dog-snickers" target="_blank">Hypnotizing My Dog, Snickers</a>, Jun 30<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/146709758156/the-time-i-accidentally-plunged-europe-into" target="_blank">The Time I Accidentally Plunged Europe into Economic Uncertainty</a>, Jun 30<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">July 2016</span></strong><br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/146945783646/the-crook-versus-the-racist" target="_blank">The Crook Versus the Racist</a>, Jul 5<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/147045002381/the-fbi-credibility-and-government" target="_blank">The FBI, Credibility, and Government</a>, Jul 7<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/147238488266/the-persuasion-diet" target="_blank">The Persuasion Diet</a>, Jul 11<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/147247313346/when-persuasion-turns-deadly" target="_blank">When Persuasion Turns Deadly</a>, Jul 11<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/147342251861/trumps-glide-path" target="_blank">Trump’s Glide Path</a>, Jul 12<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/147395227526/cop-killers-versus-racists" target="_blank">Cop Killers Versus Racists</a>, Jul 14<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/147495137831/gingrich-pence-and-monitoring-mosques" target="_blank">Gingrich, Pence, and Monitoring Mosques</a>, Jul 16<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/147595892021/how-persuaders-see-the-world" target="_blank">How Persuaders See the World</a>, Jul 18<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/147703987411/rocking-the-vote-for-snoopy" target="_blank">Rocking the Vote – for Snoopy?</a>, Jul 20<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/147720724016/newts-plan-to-defeat-isis" target="_blank">Newt’s Plan to Defeat ISIS</a>, Jul 20<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/147752900981/the-trump-kids-effect" target="_blank">The Trump Kids Effect</a>, Jul 21<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/147798324931/my-opinion-of-trumps-convention-speech" target="_blank">My Opinion of Trump’s Convention Speech</a>, Jul 22<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/147847582386/clintons-vp-pick" target="_blank">Clinton’s VP Pick</a>, Jul 23 Will Kaine drive away the male vote?<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/147894069726/martial-law-coming" target="_blank">Martial Law Coming?</a>, Jul 24<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/147918620271/clinton-uses-dark-magic" target="_blank">Clinton Uses “Dark” Magic</a>, Jul 24 Scott thinks Clinton has a weapons grade persuader on her team<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/147998060931/the-dark-and-rotten-election" target="_blank">The Dark and Rotten Election</a>, Jul 26 Godzilla vs King Kong<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/148050318231/selling-past-the-close" target="_blank">Selling Past the Close</a>, Jul 27 Don't! A woman can be president, we get it. Now capture the male vote.<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/148152679301/experience-is-overrated" target="_blank">Experience is Overrated</a>, Jul 29<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/148197490846/the-inexperienced-voter" target="_blank">The Inexperienced Voter,</a> Jul 30<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/148247737451/sunday-persuasion-reading" target="_blank">Sunday Persuasion Reading</a>, Jul 31<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">August 2016</span></strong><br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/148413098031/clinton-takes-the-persuasion-lead" target="_blank">Clinton Takes the Persuasion Lead</a>, Aug 3<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/148599208386/drug-testing-presidential-candidates" target="_blank">Drug Testing Presidential Candidates</a>, Aug 7</div>
<div>
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/148692199141/how-to-identify-the-brainwashed" target="_blank">How to Identify the Brainwashed</a>, Aug 9<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/148740944816/trump-prediction-update" target="_blank">Trump Prediction Update</a>, Aug 10</div>
<div>
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/148844611656/the-greatest-cognitive-dissonance-trap-of-all-time" target="_blank">The Greatest Cognitive Dissonance Trap of All Time</a>, Aug 12<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/148949796271/polls-and-the-bs-detector" target="_blank">Polls and the B.S. Detector</a>, Aug 14</div>
<div>
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/149099634971/medical-records-and-tax-returns" target="_blank">Medical Records and Tax Returns</a>, Aug 17<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/149130036921/trump-won-the-week-persuasion-wise" target="_blank">Trump Won the Week (Persuasion-wise)</a>, Aug 18</div>
<div>
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/149138605871/several-interesting-things" target="_blank">Several Interesting Things</a>, Aug 18<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/149174780261/trumps-regrets" target="_blank">Trump’s Regrets</a>, Aug 19<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/149321013966/the-direct-democracy-president" target="_blank">The Direct Democracy President</a>, Aug 22 Scott imagines how Trump would really be if he were president<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/149346699936/making-mexico-pay-for-the-wall" target="_blank">Making Mexico Pay for the Wall</a>, Aug 22<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/149368755381/clinton-dodges-the-health-question-on-kimmel" target="_blank">Clinton Dodges the Health Question on Kimmel</a>, Aug 23<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/149412367306/con-man-or-hitler" target="_blank">Con Man or Hitler?</a>, Aug 24<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/149413206951/on-a-positive-note" target="_blank">On a Positive Note…</a>, Aug 24<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/149460388421/clinton-and-trump-switch-brands" target="_blank">Clinton and Trump Switch Brands</a>, Aug 25<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/149511360096/finding-the-political-bottom" target="_blank">Finding the Political Bottom</a>, Aug 26<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/149530283761/the-face-of-persuasion" target="_blank">The Face of Persuasion</a>, Aug 27<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/149563357661/the-mental-vote" target="_blank">The Mental Vote</a>, Aug 27<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/149612883171/the-most-biased-poll-ever" target="_blank">The Most Biased Poll Ever,</a> Aug 28<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/149700645421/be-useful-a-post-about-colin-kaepernick" target="_blank">Be Useful (A Post About Colin Kaepernick)</a>, Aug 30<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/149751973631/deportation-and-deals" target="_blank">Deportation and Deals</a>, Aug 31 plus <a href="http://hypnosistrainingacademy.com/3-surefire-power-words-to-gain-power-and-influence-people-fast/" target="_blank">powerful hypnotic words</a><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">September 2016</span></strong><br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/149798958511/see-me-on-the-rubin-report" target="_blank">See Me on The Rubin Report</a>, Sep 1<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/149839515791/watch-me-rubin-report-part-2-infowars-cnn" target="_blank">Watch Me: Rubin Report (part 2), InfoWars, CNN,</a> Sep 2<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/149983115751/why-trump-doesnt-scare-me" target="_blank">Why Trump Doesn’t Scare Me,</a> Sep 5<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/150032856301/godzilla" target="_blank">Godzilla!!!</a>, Sep 6. Scott Says to buy Cialdini's book <a href="http://amzn.to/2bVs8lh" target="_blank">Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade</a><br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/150087546586/the-time-i-took-sides-with-black-lives-matter-and" target="_blank">The Time I Took Sides with Black Lives Matter. And Colin Kaepernick.</a>, Sep 8<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/150170746191/measuring-the-shy-trump-supporters" target="_blank">Measuring the Shy Trump Supporters</a>, Sep 9<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/150220069346/check-out-my-sulley-prediction-from-2009" target="_blank">Check Out my Sulley Prediction from 2009</a>, Sep 10<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/150264994381/the-race-for-president-is-probably-over" target="_blank">The Race for President is (Probably) Over</a>, Sep 11<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/150284922631/checking-my-predictions-about-clintons-health" target="_blank">Checking My Predictions About Clinton’s Health</a>, Sep 11<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/150328786191/deplorable-pneumonia">Deplorable Pneumonia</a>, Sep 12<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/150449295541/when-reality-turned-inside-out">When Reality Turned Inside Out</a>, Sep 15 <span style="background-color: #fff2cc;">Has Trump successfully pivoted? Who's the crazy one now?</span><br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/150496020026/trump-and-birtherism-update" target="_blank">Trump and Birtherism - update</a>, Sep 17<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/150603095761/assessing-the-risk-of-trump" target="_blank">Assessing the Risk of Trump</a>, Sep 18<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/150634274266/checking-my-spooky-predictions">Checking My Spooky Predictions</a>, Sep 19<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/150772972746/how-to-know-an-election-is-over">How to Know an Election is Over</a>, Sep 22<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/150816666991/blowing-your-mind-as-promised">Blowing Your Mind – as Promised</a>, Sep 23<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/150919416661/why-i-switched-my-endorsement-from-clinton-to" target="_blank">Why I Switched My Endorsement from Clinton to Trump</a>, Sep 25, <span style="background-color: #fff2cc;">Scott Endorses Trump!</span><br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/150978262846/hows-my-timing">How’s My Timing?</a>, Sep 26<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/150979891156/trumps-african-american-reframing">Trump’s African-American Reframing</a>, Sep 26<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/151007796236/i-score-the-first-debate">I Score the First Debate</a>, Sep 27, I think Scott may have succumbed to confirmation bias on this one. His claim that Trump won by losing and therefore looking less scary seems really thin to me. I still remain open to the possibility that Scott's Persuasion filter is the best lens at which to look at this election, but as I write this (12-Oct), it is looking increasingly unlikely.<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/151056198611/the-wall-around-isis">The Wall Around ISIS</a>, Sep 28<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">October 2016</span></strong><br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/151288850856/presidential-temperament">Presidential Temperament</a>, Oct 3<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/151301555066/the-week-i-became-a-target">The Week I Became a Target</a>, Oct 3<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/151504993671/why-does-this-happen-on-my-vacation-the-trump" target="_blank">Why Does This Happen on My Vacation? (The Trump Tapes)</a>, Oct 8<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/151552548531/why-i-endorse-gary-johnson-this-week" target="_blank">Why I Endorse Gary Johnson (this week)</a>, Oct 9<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/151599421561/quick-debate-reactions-from-switzerland">Quick Debate Reactions from Switzerland</a>, Oct 10<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/151660064166/hear-me-tonight-on-bbc-news-hour">Hear Me Tonight on BBC News Hour</a>, Oct 11<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/151695975701/scandal-poker-trump-vs-clinton" target="_blank">Scandal Poker - Trump Vs. Clinton</a>, Oct 12 (Very thin analysis IMHO)<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/151737656851/the-era-of-women" target="_blank">The Era of Women</a>, Oct 13, "Everything that goes wrong with the country from this point forward is women’s fault" Riiiiiiight...<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/151791115686/assume-half-of-what-you-hear-about-the-candidates" target="_blank">Assume Half of What You Hear About the Candidates is True</a>, Oct 14<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/151933602961/lie-detection-and-scandals">Lie Detection and Scandals</a>, Oct 17<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/151981022076/is-twitter-shadowbanning-me">Is Twitter Shadowbanning me?</a>, Oct 18<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/152024526021/i-wake-you-up-for-the-presidential-debate">I Wake You Up for the Presidential Debate</a>, Oct 19, Anti-Trumpers are suffering from confirmation bias. He forgets to mention that anti-Clintons are too. HE makes the point that the fear people feel for either candidate is an illusion. He ends it with "...vote for whoever has the policies you like."<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/152067706781/i-score-the-third-debate">I Score the Third Debate</a>, Oct 20, Scott gives Clinton a narrow win.<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/152115888936/the-crook-versus-the-monster">The Crook Versus the Monster</a>, Oct 21, Scott says that if Trump is elected and turns out to be a Hitler wannabe, he will use all his skills to have him assassinated. He closes with an admonishment to look beyond the caricatures of the politicians--they're wrong. Vote for whoever has the policies that you like.<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/152117093416/how-to-insult-me-on-twitter" target="_blank">How to Insult Me on Twitter,</a> Oct 21<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/152204980091/twitter-and-periscope-shadowban-update" target="_blank">Twitter and Periscope Shadowban Update</a>. Oct 23<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/152226715516/how-to-legally-vote-more-than-once" target="_blank">How to Legally Vote More Than Once,</a> Oct 23, How to convince the other side not to vote<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/152293480726/the-bully-party">The Bully Party</a>, Oct 25, Scott wholeheartedly endorses Trump<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/152337049156/watch-the-persuasion-battle">Watch the Persuasion Battle</a>, Oct 26, I do not like Scott's direction. Some things he says have truth, OTOH, Trump is on camera as bullying and making fun of other American citizens. Scott seems to be denying this...<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/152379707591/a-lesson-in-cognitive-dissonance">A Lesson in Cognitive Dissonance</a>, Oct 27<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/152427079266/about-leadership" target="_blank">About Leadership</a>, Oct 28<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/152531307171/james-comey-as-seen-through-the-persuasion">James Comey - As seen through the Persuasion Filter</a>, Oct 31, What is Comey up to? Is there a way to view his actions as consistent?<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/152573895011/candidate-risk-assessment" target="_blank">Candidate Risk Assessment</a>, Oct 31, Hilary is bad because she drinks alcohol. Scott makes up numbers to measure riskiness of candidates. Guess who Scott thinks is less risky. Lol<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">November 2016</span></strong><br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/152644376081/the-persuasion-scorecard-update-one-week-out">The Persuasion Scorecard Update - One Week Out</a>, Nov 2, Still predicting Trump in a landslide. Fear of Hilary being the dominant emotion against her while Trump only has the Ick factor.<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/152685424531/same-candidates-different-worlds">Same Candidates, Different Worlds</a>, Nov 3<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/152734465316/unhypnotizing-a-clinton-supporter" target="_blank">Unhypnotizing a Clinton Supporter</a>, Nov 4<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/152747601271/trump-the-closer" target="_blank">Trump the Closer</a>, Nov 4<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/152771168956/the-dehypnotizing-has-begun" target="_blank">The Dehypnotizing has Begun</a>, Nov 5<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/152810061461/vote-with-a-friend-for-safety">Vote with a Friend (for safety)</a>, Nov 6<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/152811465446/i-dont-want-a-government-job">I Don’t Want a Government Job</a>, Nov 6, <span style="background-color: yellow;">"The fight ends Tuesday. After that, let’s try to be useful. No matter what happens."</span><br />
<span style="background-color: yellow;"><a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/152858919626/thank-you-for-the-best-year-ever"><span style="background-color: white;">Thank You for The Best Year Ever</span></a><span style="background-color: white;">, Nov 7, Scott predicts that the Dem forces will br committing election fraud. Two days ago he was still predicting a Trump landslide. Perhaps he is giving himself an out. I have to say that Scott has stuck to his guns. If he is right and Trump wins, I will have to give him serious kudos. If Hillary loses, he has still had a remarkable run. </span></span><br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/152900725676/the-last-confirmation-bias-test-of-this-election">The Last Confirmation Bias Test of This Election</a>, Nov 8<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/152955248046/i-answer-your-questions-about-predicting-president">I Answer Your Questions About Predicting President Trump</a>, Nov 9<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/152998516891/the-de-hitlerization-of-your-brain">The De-Hitlerization of Your Brain</a>. Nov 10<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/153009223196/persuasion-or-coincidence">Persuasion or Coincidence?</a>, Nov 10<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/153040338656/while-you-were-looking-in-the-wrong-direction">While You Were Looking in the Wrong Direction</a>, Nov 11<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/153080448451/the-cognitive-dissonance-cluster-bomb">The Cognitive Dissonance Cluster Bomb</a>, Nov 12<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/153172272041/how-to-break-an-illusion">How to Break an Illusion</a>, Nov 13<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/153220656771/the-thought-experiment-that-broke-your-brain">The Thought Experiment that Broke Your Brain</a>, Nov 15<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/153259019196/the-hypnosis-lawyer">The Hypnosis Lawyer</a>, Nov 16<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/153301052341/working-for-the-machines">Working for the Machines</a>, Nov 17<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/153301874416/reprogram-an-anti-trumper-with-this-article">Reprogram an Anti-Trumper with This Article</a>, Nov 17<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/153438869646/generating-cognitive-dissonance-for-fun">Generating Cognitive Dissonance for Fun</a>, Nov 20<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/153480921421/persuasion-versus-populism">Persuasion Versus Populism</a>, Nov 21<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/153559105081/a-lesson-in-cognitive-dissonance">A Lesson in Cognitive Dissonance</a>, Nov 23<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/153775344216/the-trump-talent-stack">The Trump Talent Stack</a>, Nov 28<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/153821538056/about-pizzagate">About #Pizzagate</a>, Nov 30<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/153865618451/the-idea-you-are-least-likely-to-believe">The Idea You are Least Likely to Believe</a>, Nov 30<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">December 2016</span></strong><br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/153905823756/the-new-ceos-first-moves-and-trump" target="_blank">The New CEO’s First Moves (and Trump)</a>, Dec 1<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/153990140846/trump-and-the-taiwan-call" target="_blank">Trump and the Taiwan Call</a>, Dec 3<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/154082416051/the-non-expert-problem-and-climate-change-science" target="_blank">The Non-Expert Problem and Climate Change Science</a>, Dec 5<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/154123428471/trump-and-the-secretary-of-state-brand-decision">Trump and the Secretary of State “Brand” Decision</a>, Dec 6<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/154162921656/how-the-trump-administration-can-lower-healthcare" target="_blank">How the Trump Administration Can Lower Healthcare Costs</a>, Dec 7<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/154250104221/watching-trump-create-money-from-nothing" target="_blank">Watching Trump Create Money from Nothing</a>, Dec 9<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/154289405111/the-time-that-reality-forked-right-in-front-of-you" target="_blank">The Time That Reality Forked Right in Front of You</a>, Dec 10<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/154336783261/fake-news-versus-misleading-news" target="_blank">Fake News Versus Misleading News</a>, Dec 11<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/154379390746/more-start-ups-that-could-lower-healthcare-costs">More Start-Ups That Could Lower Healthcare Costs</a>, Dec 12<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/154383373696/remind-me-why-russia-is-our-adversary">Remind Me Why Russia is Our Adversary?</a>, Dec 13<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/154466950151/the-campaign-hallucinations-are-lifting">The Campaign Hallucinations Are Lifting</a>, Dec 14<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/154553282956/persuasion-and-isis" target="_blank">Persuasion and ISIS</a>, Dec 16<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/154679929646/watching-the-climate-science-bubbles-from-the" target="_blank">Watching the Climate Science Bubbles from the Outside</a>, Dec 19<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/154681238001/the-wikileaks-persuasion-you-missed">The Wikileaks Persuasion You Missed</a>, Dec 19<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/154704499366/called-it">Called It</a>, Dec 19<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/154729003056/how-many-trump-votes-did-i-cause">How Many Trump Votes Did I Cause?</a>, Dec 20<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/154768183356/how-to-be-unpersuasive">How to Be Unpersuasive</a>, Dec 21<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/154785315531/the-mustache-prediction" target="_blank">The Mustache Prediction</a>, Dec 21<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/154810597041/can-the-government-deduce-your-religion-without" target="_blank">Can the Government Deduce Your Religion Without Asking?</a>, Dec 22<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/154815325396/the-trump-economic-bump" target="_blank">The Trump Economic Bump,</a> Dec 22<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/155029617616/the-kristina-talent-stack" target="_blank">The Kristina Talent Stack</a>, Dec 27<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/155073242136/the-climate-science-challenge" target="_blank">The Climate Science Challenge</a>, Dec 28<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/155121836641/the-illusion-of-knowledge" target="_blank">The Illusion of Knowledge</a>, Dec 29<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/155142928411/best-arguments-for-and-against-climate-model" target="_blank">Best Arguments For and Against Climate Model Credibility</a>, Dec 29<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">January 2017</span></strong><br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/155247769041/the-master-persuader-filter-and-bernies-ad" target="_blank">The Master Persuader Filter and Bernie’s Ad,</a> Jan 1<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/155304094981/what-if-climate-change-causes-more-co2">What if Climate Change Causes more CO2?</a>, Jan 2 (not Trump related, but elements of persuasion)<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/155392710916/creating-economic-assets-out-of-nothing">Creating Economic Assets out of Nothing</a>, Jan 4<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/155441207921/how-about-an-american-expense-lowering-investment" target="_blank">How About an American Expense-lowering Investment Fund?</a>, Jan 5<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/155441902771/is-the-onion-advising-democrats-now" target="_blank">Is The Onion Advising Democrats Now?</a>, Jan 5<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/155628710881/is-meryl-streep-persuasive">Is Meryl Streep Persuasive?</a>, Jan 9<br />
<a class="post-title" href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/155723690911/the-master-persuader-scrambles-the-frame">The Master Persuader Scrambles the Frame</a>, Jan 11<br />
<a href="http://blog.dilbert.com/post/156127863361/a-look-back-at-my-trump-predictions" target="_blank">A Look Back at My Trump Predictions</a>, Jan 20, 10:58 am<br />
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I'll keep this page up to date as he posts more.<br />
<br />
Scott has a lot of interesting views about psychology and free will as well. His latest book lays out his thoughts on this, There's a lot of wisdom there.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="550" src="https://read.amazon.com/kp/card?asin=B00COOFBA4&preview=inline&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_yWG0wb11E4V96&tag=emotforengi-20" style="max-width: 100%;" type="text/html" width="336"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=ss_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=emotforengi-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=1591847745&asins=1591847745&linkId=SU22SSBCYONOK7OP&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"> </iframe><br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=emotforengi-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=1501109790&asins=1501109790&linkId=a4505f50c1869aceaa930a55bb61ec24&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><br />Tony Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688318289784215712noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194600066391868656.post-25118772371671149582015-04-22T02:33:00.001-07:002015-08-03T14:59:42.610-07:00The Mathematics of LoveI missed this when it first came out, but for anyone who reads Emotions for Engineers, well the title speaks for itself.<br />
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<a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/hannah_fry_the_mathematics_of_love" target="_blank">Ted Talks - The Mathematics of Love - Hannah Fry</a><br />
<br />Tony Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688318289784215712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194600066391868656.post-19634504331585291442014-08-16T12:49:00.001-07:002015-08-27T08:43:03.035-07:00Sub Optimizing Your HealthThose of you who have read my <a href="http://kenckar.blogspot.com/2004/09/opportunity-evaluation-beyond-irr-and.html">personal blog</a> know that I am interested in planning and real asset portfolio management. When I say portfolio, it is about understanding how assets interact or correlate and how they affect the whole enterprise. For example, if a company is doing a large project, there is a system cost in doing the project that is seldom considered--when you put people or capital into a large project, there are other projects that do not get done or get delayed.<br />
<br />
This work has caused me recently to think about a couple of things.<br />
<br />
<b>Maximizing the Health of an Individual at the Expense of Society</b><br />
<br />
Years ago, I had a conversation with my dad who was a doctor. I was feeling pretty smug because I had read about how over-prescription of antibiotics was giving rise to the super-bugs. So I asked him what he does when a patient comes in with flu-like symptoms, but nothing definitive (or some such scenario). He said he would prescribe an antibiotic. Aha I said, you are contributing to the rise of superbugs.<br />
<br />
His response was a little startling to me. He said that he didn't know about super-bugs, but he did know that he had a responsibility to his patient and that would be the best course of action for her.<br />
<br />
I wrote about the super-bugs and this conversation <a href="http://www.emotionsforengineers.com/2010/04/short-term-personal-healing-vs-long.html">here</a> as well. <br />
<br />
In essence his responsibility was to maximize the health of his patient without regard for overall public health.<br />
<br />
<b>Maximizing the Health of an Individual Organ at the Expense of the Body</b><br />
<br />
There is a parallel in the medical specialties. Dermatologists recommend people to minimize sun and use high SPF sun block. When people do this, it minimizes the chances of getting skin cancer, especially carcinoma, the most common form of skin cancer. Their focus is on skin health. It makes sense that they would make these recommendations. In our litigious society, we all need to protect ourselves.<br />
<br />
But, in avoiding sun, we reduce the production of vitamin D in our bodies. Vitamin D is important for immune function, and there is evidence that adequate levels of vitamin D can help prevent colds, flu, many other types of cancer, including possibly melanoma--the more deadly form of skin cancer.<br />
<br />
So your skin might be in better shape if you minimize sun exposure, but you get the flu or something worse. <i>Important: I do not recommend getting sunburned. Sunburn especially for those under 18 does cause damage to the skin without giving any extra vitamin D benefit. People with light complexions need to be especially careful.</i><br />
<br />
The point of this is that like my father who was focused on his patient at the expense of society at large, medical specialists focus on their organ specialty at the expense of the rest of the body. Drugs work the same way. They focus on doing some very specific thing, e.g. lowering LDL in the blood, then create systemic effects. Remember side-effects are effects.<br />
<br />
<b>An Important Role of Government</b><br />
<br />
Who then watches over the whole body and the whole of society. Well for society in the US, we have, in theory, the government. Government entities like the EPA ensure that companies and individuals do not, while pursuing their own enrichment, exact cost on the rest of society. I believe that guarding our shared resources to prevent <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragedy_of_the_commons">Tragedy of the Commons</a> is an important role of government. We have seen that with previous systems in place, industry poisoned the environment. Was it because of lack of regulation, protection of the culprits through the anonymity of incorporation, government protections such as limitation of liability, greed, or all of the above? I don't know, but it didn't work. EPA seems to be working better.<br />
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<b>A Bad Role of Government</b><br />
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<i>When it comes to the whole body though, remember that it is your body. Nobody has a greater stake than you in ensuring that your body's system is in good health and working well. You are responsible and accountable for what goes into your mouth.</i><br />
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The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Agriculture">USDA</a> (department of agriculture) is a great example of what government agencies should not be doing. Their main goal historically has been to support the agricultural sector of the US economy. I don't know the rationale for having a department with a cabinet secretary to do that, but whatever. In 1894 they got into the personal nutrition business publishing nutrition guidelines. Until 1956, grains were just one of 7 food groups given equal weighting. In 1992 the first food guide pyramid came out emphasizing grains. Separately the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_Select_Committee_on_Nutrition_and_Human_Needs">United States Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs</a>, aka the McGovern commission, in 1974, changed the focus of our diet towards carbohydrates and away from fats. The health of our nation has been in decline ever since. Food manufacturers bear blame as well.<br />
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Don't even get me started on the <a href="http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/health-care/8294-walnuts-are-drugs-says-fda">FDA</a>.<br />
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<b>Conclusions</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Systems thinking is important; a holistic perspective can give important insights.</li>
<li>Listening only to experts with a very narrow perspective can lead to sub-optimization</li>
<li>Government tries, with mixed results, to look after the systemic good of our nation.</li>
<li>Some of the agencies in the US government seem very closely aligned with industry to the detriment of individuals.</li>
<li><b>Ultimately you are responsible for yourself. Consider the source, not just their degrees, but also their incentives in providing advice or guidance.</b></li>
</ol>
Tony Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688318289784215712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194600066391868656.post-59834116110217256822014-08-08T22:30:00.000-07:002020-01-09T13:33:00.550-08:00Blood Pressure - The E4E View<div>
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<b>What is Blood Pressure</b><br />
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Blood pressure is the range of pressures in your cardiovascular system exerted by the heart pumping blood through your system. it is normally expressed in units of mmHg (millimeters of mercury). So a value of 120 is enough to support a column of mercury 120 mm high. Blood pressure has two values diastolic and systolic. The systolic (higher value) is the transient pressure in your arteries experienced during a heartbeat. The diastolic (lower value) is the recovery or resting pressure experienced in-between heartbeats. Blood pressure is normally expressed as systolic over diastolic, e.g. 120/80.<br />
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It is very common to find articles that talk about how high blood pressure is associated with heart disease. It is also common to see articles that say that high blood pressure <b>causes </b>stroke and heart disease. E4E wonders about this and set out to research it.<br />
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<b>High Blood Pressure from an Engineering Perspective</b><br />
Think of the circulatory system and the heart as a pump--perhaps something like a diaphragm or a peristaltic pump. It pushes out the fluid with one stroke, then brings in fluid with the next. Each time the heart pushes out fluid, there is pressure created downstream from the heart. This rapidly dissipates for two main reasons: the arteries themselves are elastic and therefore expand when they receive pressure, the blood flows out of the arteries and into tissue and through the kidneys (and ultimately into the veins for return to the lungs and heart)--it's like having a hose without anything to stop the flow.<br />
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From this simplistic perspective then, removing the elasticity of the arteries or restricting the flow from the arteries can cause high blood pressure. <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/arteriosclerosis-atherosclerosis/basics/definition/con-20026972" target="_blank">Arteriosclerosis</a>, the thickening, hardening, and loss of elasticity of the walls of arteries reduces the elasticity of the arteries, and so is a cause of high diastolic blood pressure. The loss of elasticity can be from either changes in the structure of the artery walls or by deposition of plaques inside the innermost lining of the artery, a condition known as atherosclerosis.<br />
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Additionally, renal artery disease, a blockage of the artery that brings blood to the kidneys for filtering, prevents the blood from exiting freely from the arterial system.<br />
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After the pulse of pressure from the heart, there is then a brief period for the pressure to dissipate before the next beat. So the systolic pressure indicates your body's ability to handle and dissipate the initial pressure pulse, while the diastolic pressure indicates a more general dissipation of blood into the capillaries.<br />
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<b>Is High Blood Pressure Bad?</b><br />
Medical people have said that high blood pressure (hypertension) increases the risk of kidney failure, stroke, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and events such as an <a href="https://health.google.com/health/ref/Abdominal+aortic+aneurysm">abdominal aortic aneurysm</a> (AAA). From what I can determine, there is actually very little evidence that high pressure by itself is the <strong>cause</strong> of those issues.<br />
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The problem is more likely with the <strong>factors</strong> that cause the high blood pressure; the pressure is just a symptom. There is something called <a href="https://health.google.com/health/ref/Hypertensive+heart+disease">hypertensive heart disease</a>, which is a thickening of the heart muscle caused by high blood pressure. The heart has to work harder to pump blood, so it bulks up. This larger heart needs a larger blood supply, and if it can't get it, problems ensue. From what I interpret in my readings, it is unclear if the enlarged heart is a primary cause, or if obstructed coronary blood vessels are what prevents the heart from getting blood supply. Wikipedia has a good article on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypertension">Hypertension</a>.<br />
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The hypothesis that hypertension causes these issues goes something like this from <a href="http://www.medicinenet.com/kidney_disease_hypertension-related/article.htm">MedicineNet</a>:<br />
"High blood pressure makes your heart work harder and, over time, can damage blood vessels throughout your body. If the blood vessels in your kidneys are damaged, they may stop removing wastes and extra fluid from your body. The extra fluid in your blood vessels may then raise blood pressure even more. It's a dangerous cycle."<br />
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<b>E4E Take</b><br />
<br />
<i>E4E thinks that the arrow of causality may be reversed. The above quote never addresses what caused hypertension in the first place. I believe that blood factors damage arteries (inflammation), which causes hypertension. The damage to the blood vessels also damages the blood vessels in the kidneys. <b>Once the blood vessels are damaged</b>, I suspect that elevation of blood pressure can rupture blood vessels, leading to events like AAA and stroke. So if your blood vessels are already damaged, it might be worth using drugs to lower BP. In my paradigm, though, that does not prevent further damage to the blood vessels, but might prevent a catastrophic event in the short term.</i><br />
<i><br /></i> <i>I would guess that the "high blood pressure causes bad things" paradigm is a relic of the history of medicine. They could measure it, so they did. They found a correlation, and then rationalized a causality story.</i><br />
<i><br /></i> <i>I wonder if somewhere, there is primary research, perhaps in animals, in which the researchers elevated blood pressure prior to causing damage to the circulatory system, for example, with a small pump just past the exit from the heart to somehow elevate overall pressure. That might give us a sense of whether elevated BP actually causes damage to otherwise healthy blood vessels.</i><br />
<em><br /></em>
<br />
<i>[Edit: For several days after this post, the issue of blood pressure has been rattling around in my brain. There is a circularity that has confounded me somewhat, so here is what I am thinking:</i><br />
<i><br /></i> <i>A damaged vascular system causes high blood pressure. Damaged blood vessels are more prone to failure. The damage creates the danger, and also elevated blood pressure. High blood pressure can, in turn, cause failure and further damage in damaged blood vessels.</i><br />
<i><br /></i> <i>In the absence of damage, high blood pressure is not dangerous; after all, systolic blood pressure can go over 300 in times of intense exercise. Moderately high blood pressure, e.g 140/90, is indicative that there is damage, but it may not have progressed to dangerous levels. It is important to do everything you can to prevent further damage that would drive your BP higher. Clean up your diet, lay off junk food, eat naturally nutritionally dense foods (not barren foods that are enriched), stick with natural fats (rather than highly-processed ones), layoff sugar, exercise.</i><br />
<i><br /></i> <i>Drugs that lower BP do not repair or reverse the damage. They may help prevent or delay the catastrophic failure, but they do not fix the real problem, which is the damage to your arteries.</i><br />
<i><br /></i> <i>When a water main blows and floods city streets, we don't blame the pumps for creating the pressure, we blame the pipes. Blood pressure is analogous.]</i><br />
<em><br /></em>
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<b>Notes and Sources</b><br />
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<a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2018/10/11/what-causes-heart-disease-part-57/" target="_blank">Malcolm Kendrick's series on cardiovascular disease no 57</a> - He writes on blood pressure - to be continued.<br />
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Kendrick seems to be well aligned with this post <a href="https://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2018/11/01/what-causes-heart-disease-part-58-blood-pressure/" target="_blank">Heart disease No 58</a>. Yay!<br />
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<a href="http://www.drmirkin.com/public/Ezine121204.html">Blood Pressure During Exercise</a><br />
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</div>
Blood pressure is determined by the force of the heart's contraction times the resistance in the blood vessels. "Normal" blood pressure is 120 when the heart contracts and 80 when it relaxes. During exercise, the heart beats with increased force to raise blood pressure. It is normal for blood pressure to rise up to 200 over 80 during running, and to 300 over 200 while doing a leg press with very heavy weights. If high blood pressure is bad, why is exercise good? Again, the pressure is not what causes damage, however, high blood pressure can cause ruptures of already damaged blood vessels.<br />
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<b>Salt and Blood Pressure</b><br />
The press and medical establishment have, for years, warned us to reduce salt intake to reduce our incidence of high blood pressure. Unless you have some kind of physical problem processing salt, your blood pressure <span style="font-weight: bold;">might</span> rise by up to 6 mm Hg after ingesting salt. Notice "might" and "up to" in the last sentence. Salt is not what causes your pressure to go from 120/80 to 160/100.<br />
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Recent <a href="http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/NEJMoa0907355">New England Journal of Medicine paper</a> on reductions of death that could result from a reduction in salt intake.<br />
<br />
This <a href="http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/361/9/878?ijkey=67ae2ab9c5e8961f3286598212e5f52c64d175a7&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha">paper on the Hypertension Paradox</a> addresses the fact that despite improved means to treat hypertension, it continues to increase in the population. It seems they are considering hypertension as a disease rather than as a symptom. This is the problem with aggressive drug treatment of cholesterol as well.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Good-Calories-Bad-Controversial-Science/dp/1400033462?ie=UTF8&tag=emotforengi-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Gary Taubes</a><img alt="" border="0" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=emotforengi-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1400033462" height="1" style="border-image: none; border: currentColor; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="1"> wrote an article in Science magazine entitled "<a href="http://www.nasw.org/awards/1999/99Taubesarticle1.htm">The (Political) Science of Salt</a>." (That is a free link. Science charges for the article.) The article is written in the vein of Good Calories, Bad Calories, and Taubes received the <a href="http://www.nasw.org/awards/1999/99Taubesarticle1.htm">1999 National Association of Science Writers' Science in Journalism Award</a> award for writing it. His conclusions were that the research supports the concept that salt is, at most, the cause of a few point of blood pressure.<br />
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Here's what he said in <a href="http://thedailybell.com/604/Gary-Taubes-Good-Calories-Bad-Calories.html">this article in the Daily Bell:</a><br />
<b>"Daily Bell: </b>Can you explain more about salt in diet and blood pressure, etc?"<br />
<br />
<b>"Taubes:</b> For fifty years, researchers have been trying to causally link salt consumption to hypertension and the data has continued to be, at best, ambiguous. It's a nice hypothesis, but it just hasn't panned out in human trials or even, really, in the observational studies. On the other hand, it's been known since the 1870s that carbohydrates cause water retention and the more water you retain, simplistically speaking, the higher your blood pressure will be. It's been known since the 1950s that when people go on carbohydrate-restricted diets their blood pressure drops dramatically because of that water loss, and it's been known since the 1980s that one of the many things insulin does is regulate blood pressure. Moreover, hypertension is associated with obesity and diabetes so, in one sense, whatever causes obesity and diabetes also causes hypertension, and obesity and diabetes, as I explain in <i>GCBC</i>, are almost assuredly caused by the quality and quantity of carbohydrates in our diet."<br />
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From everything I can tell, high blood pressure is associated with cardiovascular disease--it is not a cause of the disease. Tom Naughton (creator of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fat-Head-Tom-Naughton/dp/B001NRY6R2?ie=UTF8&tag=emotforengi-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Fat Head</a><img alt="" border="0" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=emotforengi-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B001NRY6R2" height="1" style="border-image: none; border: currentColor; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="1">) expressed a number of <a href="http://www.fathead-movie.com/index.php/2010/01/26/mayor-bloombergs-a-salt-on-science/">alternative hypotheses on the Fat Head blog</a>.<br />
<ul>
<li>"Refined carbohydrates produce high blood sugar and high levels of insulin, which in turn are both bad news for your arteries. Refined carbohydrates also cause water retention, which raises your blood pressure. (So if you really want to reduce your blood pressure, give up the sugar and starch.)"</li>
<li>"Blood pressure tends to go up as we get older. (Mine hasn’t, but bear with me here.) We’re also more likely to suffer heart attacks and strokes as we get older.</li>
<li>"Stress causes your body to produce more cortisol, which can damage your arteries. Stress also raises your blood pressure.</li>
<li>"Eating lots of vegetables may be good for your heart. Vegetables are also high in potassium, which lowers blood pressure."</li>
</ul>
<div>
<a href="http://www.thincs.org/Malcolm.htm#hypertens1">Malcolm Kendrick 1</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.thincs.org/Malcolm.htm#hypertens2">Malcolm Kendrick 2</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.thincs.org/Malcolm.htm#hypertens3">Malcolm Kendrick 3</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/07/29/with-blood-pressure-is-lower-always-better/">John Briffa</a> - Blood pressure is a symptom. Fixing the symptom may not fix the underlying problem.<br />
John Briffa - is lower blood pressure always better? <a href="http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/07/29/with-blood-pressure-is-lower-always-better/">This report </a>on a study that shows that lowering blood pressure below140/90 did not result in any changes to outcomes. The pressure was changed through chemical/medicinal means.<br />
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There has recently been a call to arms to reduce salt in food, under the premise that doing so will save "between 44,000 and 92,000" lives every year. The articles I read didn't go into detail, but the thinking in the past has gone something like this. (<a href="http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/news/20100122/cutting-salt-as-good-as-quitting-smoking">WebMD</a>, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/21/health/nutrition/21salt.html">New York Times</a>, <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2010/01/put-down-the-salt-shaker-for-the-good-of-us-all.html?wpisrc=nl_health">LA Times)</a><br />
1. Salt causes high blood pressure<br />
2. High blood pressure causes heart attack and stroke<br />
3. Reduction in blood pressure of x points reduces the probability of heart attack or stroke by y%<br />
4. Therefore, reduction of salt will reduce deaths by total susceptible population * y%<br />
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Of the above points, the basic premises (1 and 2) are not supported by research and science. The extrapolation (3) is based on a correlation in the data with no implicit causality. The conclusion is just speculation that follows from 1, 2, and 3. Repeat after me <a href="http://www.emotionsforengineers.com/2009/12/interpreting-science-writing.html">"Correlation is not Causation."</a><br />
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The Diet Doctor <a href="http://www.dietdoctor.com/blood-pressure" target="_blank">blog</a> <br />
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<b>Bad Science Leads to Bad Government </b><br />
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</div>
<div>
A related subject is the link between high blood pressure and heart disease and stroke. The latest class of anti-hypertensives, angiotensin II receptor antagonists, which includes such brands as Benicar, Cozaar, and Valtran, do a great job reducing blood pressure but the scientific evidence shows they do not decrease the incidence of myocardial infarction (heart attacks). The older ACE inhibitors, such as lisinopril, reduce blood pressure and also reduce the incidence of heart attacks and death, and they are also available for $0.11 a day. Read more at <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/why-cholesterol-may-not-b_b_290687.html" target="_blank_">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/why-cholesterol-may-not-b_b_290687.html</a><br />
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<b>Recent Research</b><br />
The British Medical Journal published a <a href="http://openheart.bmj.com/content/1/1/e000048.short" target="_blank">paper</a> recently called Hypertension: empirical evidence and implications in 2014. Their finding is that there is no evidence that reducing blood pressure in people with mild hypertension with antihypertensive therapy will reduce cardiovascular events or mortality.<br />
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Some Additional Links:<br />
<br />
Chris Kresser post <a href="http://chriskresser.com/how-and-why-to-lower-your-blood-pressure-naturally/" target="_blank">on Blood Pressure</a> and how to lower it naturally<br />
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<a href="http://nephropal.blogspot.com/2009/12/hypertension-and-metabolic-syndrome.html">Insulin and Hypertension from an evolutionary perspective</a> <br />
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<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/07/science/07tier.html">Tierney NYT article</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_816289417"><br />
</a><br />
<a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100314091130.htm">Blood Pressure reduction does not reduce cardiovascular risk in Diabetics</a><br />
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There is a question about the impact of Isolated Diastolic hypertension, i.e. the high number's low and the low number's high. The Wiley article below concludes that there is little evidence of danger from IDH. There is evidence that using aural measurement of BP (with a stethoscope) can result in systematically higher readings of BP. E4E wonders whether, with accurate readings of the diastolic, this might be shown to have a high risk.<br />
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<a href="http://www.med-health.net/High-Diastolic-Blood-Pressure.html" target="_blank">Isolated Diastolic Hypertension</a> -<br />
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<a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1524-6175.2003.02840.x/full" target="_blank">Another Isolated Diastolic Hypertension</a> (Wiley) article - doesn't find much association with adverse issues.</div>
Tony Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688318289784215712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194600066391868656.post-29147970519756990702012-08-04T08:01:00.003-07:002012-08-13T12:43:32.228-07:00Book Review: Practical Paleo. The Missing Manual Is Now Out<b><span style="font-size: large;">Background:</span></b><br />
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The basic idea of paleo diets and lifestyles is that man evolved eating foods and with activity patterns different from what most of us have today. Many of the foods we eat and the activities we pursue today and for that last 10,000 years (since the dawn of agriculture) are not good for us. (More accurately, do not provide optimal health). With some changes to our lifestyles, we can achieve robust or optimal health.<br />
<br />
I have mentioned in some of my <a href="http://www.emotionsforengineers.com/2010/01/eat-food-light-on-carbs-mindfully-e4e.html" target="_blank">previous posts </a>on nutrition that paleo style eating is probably a good path, and I continue to believe that. Many people have trouble actually implementing the approach. They have recipe books that call for added sugar, or breading, or the oils called for in the recipes are not healthful ones.<br />
<br />
Now Diane Sanfilppo has written a book called Practical Paleo: A Customized Approach to Health and a Whole-Foods Lifestyle. It is the missing manual for Paleo.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Bottom Line - E4E Take:</span></b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1936608758/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1936608758&linkCode=as2&tag=emotforengi-20">Practical Paleo: A Customized Approach to Health and a Whole-Foods Lifestyle</a> by Diane Sanfilippo contains the why, what, and how of a paleo, ancestral-style diet. It is well-organized, beautiful to behold, and contains a ton of great information.<br />
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Even if you do not buy into the whole paleo movement, you can't go wrong with this book. <a href="http://www.robbwolf.com/" target="_blank">Robb Wolf</a> does the foreword. I think he is a highly principled person who would not put his mark on anything less than a top-rate product. It has 30-day meal plans for various goals, and all the recipes and ingredient lists you need to back it up. And keep in mind that paleo is not about caveman re-enactment, the main point is to eat healthful, natural foods that are nutritionally dense. That is not a fad diet. It's a good diet.<br />
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The book seems aimed especially at newbies to paleo, but even people who have been paleo for a while will benefit from the meal plans (and the lifestyle suggestions) and the recipes.<div>
<br />I notice that the macronutrient (fat, protein, and carbohydrate) ratios she recommends are pretty consistent with what I have recommended in the past (I recommended a bit more protein and less fat than she does). So maybe I like it because of confirmation bias, but more interesting is that Diane gets there by concentrating on <i>food</i> <i>quality</i> rather than macronutrients.<br />
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This book is a tour de force. I am ordering copies for my my kids and some friends. <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1936608758/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1936608758&linkCode=as2&tag=emotforengi-20" target="_blank">Buy pre-release and you get a discount.</a></b><br />
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<i>Full disclaimer: I received a review copy of the book pre-release at no charge. I recognize that this can induce a bias. I have no financial or other interest in the success of the book unless you click the links to Amazon in the post, and even then it would amount to less than $1.00.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>If you do want to order this (or any) book, I encourage you to go to <a href="http://www.latestinpaleo.com/" target="_BLANK">Latest in Paleo</a> scroll down a little and launch your Amazon search session with the keywords "Practical Paleo" from there. He does a really good service to the paleo community and we might as well give him a buck instead of Amazon.</i><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The Book:</span></b><br />
<br />
Diane Sanfilippo of the BalancedBites website has released a new book called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1936608758/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1936608758&linkCode=as2&tag=emotforengi-20">Practical Paleo: A Customized Approach to Health and a Whole-Foods Lifestyle</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=emotforengi-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1936608758" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />.<br />
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The book is gorgeous, and even just thumbing through the book you are guaranteed to learn something.<br />
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It contains <b>everything</b> you need to know about living a more healthy life following paleo/ancestral principles.<br />
<br />
Following is a rundown of the table of contents with some commentary:<br />
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There are three parts to the book.<br />
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<b>Part 1: The Why - Food and Your Body</b><br />
What is Paleo<br />
Everything We've Been Taught About Good Nutrition is Wrong<br />
Paleo at Home: Shopping for Groceries - includes some great lists of foods that are considered paleo and information about their quality<br />
Paleo in Public: Restaurants and Parties<br />
On the Go: On the Road or in the Air<br />
Your Digestive System<br />
Is Your Gut Leaky?<br />
Blood Sugar Regulation<br />
Frequently Asked Questions<br />
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In Part 1, Diane talks about what paleo is, why conventional recommendations are flawed, and provides a bunch of practical tips for shopping eating out, and what to do when you're not at home. Then she goes into some detail on the science of why it is important, specifically dealing with digestive/gut health and blood sugar regulation and how those are in turn related to cardiovascular health, neurological damage, etc.<br />
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She talks a lot about questions and potential objections to paleo, including calcium, fiber, anti-nutrients, inflammation, and cholesterol. She has good references including Robb Wolf, Mat Lalonde, Alessio Fasano, and Chris Kresser (among others) and information. I believe that the science is good.<br />
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<b>Part 2: 30-Day Meal Plans</b><br />
Autoimmune Conditions<br />
Blood Sugar Regulation<br />
Digestive Health<br />
Thyroid Health<br />
Multiple Sclerosis, Fibromyalgia, and Chronic Fatigue<br />
Neurological Health<br />
Heart Health<br />
Cancer Recovery<br />
Athletic Performance<br />
Fat Loss<br />
Squeaky Clean Paleo<br />
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Each of these sections contains information on overall diet and lifestyle recommendations (what to include and avoid), supplements and herbs to consider, important nutrients, then 30 days of three meals per day. These are not necessarily 90 unique meals, she does include leftovers.<br />
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The practical approach of targeting specific issues is innovative and very useful.<br />
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<b>Part 3: Recipes</b><br />
Kitchen Basics<br />
Breakfast<br />
Poultry<br />
Beef & Bison<br />
Seafood<br />
Lamb<br />
Pork<br />
Sides & Salads<br />
Sauces & Dips<br />
Treats & Sweets<br />
<br />
Recipes are about half of the book with almost 200 pages (over 120 recipes). We have tried a few of them at home and so far, so good. Our favorite is the Italian-style stuffed peppers. I am confident that we will cook many meals form this book over time. The photography is excellent.<br />
<br />
The author's<a href="http://balancedbites.com/2012/08/faq-all-about-the-book-practical-paleo.html" target="_blank"> FAQ can be found here</a>.<br />
<br />
Diane has:<br />
<a href="http://balancedbites.com/" target="_blank">a blog, Balanced Bites</a><br />
a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Balanced-Bites/118286848256522" target="_blank">facebook page</a>, and<br />
a <a href="https://twitter.com/balancedbites" target="_blank">twitter account</a>. ( @balancedbites )<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=emotforengi-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=1936608758" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe></div>
Tony Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688318289784215712noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194600066391868656.post-36111628350637451042012-01-14T12:23:00.000-08:002012-08-04T07:27:56.904-07:00Book Review - Paleo Comfort Foods: Homestyle Cooking for a Gluten-Free KitchenThis is my first book review on e4e.<br />
<br />
<i>Full disclaimer: I received the book as a gift from the authors. They offered a copy to volunteers at the recent Ancestral Health Symposium. I have no financial or other interest in the success of the book unless you click the link to Amazon at the bottom of the post.</i><br />
<i> </i><br />
<i>If you do want to order this (or any) book, I encourage you to go to <a href="http://www.latestinpaleo.com/" target="_BLANK">Latest in Paleo</a>
scroll down a little and launch your Amazon search session with the
keywords "Paleo Comfort Foods" from there. He does a really good service
to the paleo community and we might as well give him a buck instead of
Amazon.</i><br />
<br />
<i>I have no conflict of interest, but there is a possible bias. They were very kind to offer this book for free, with no strings attached, but with encouragement to review the book on Amazon and/or Barnes and Noble. so I am well-disposed to the book in the first place.</i><br />
<i></i><br />
<i></i><br />
<br />
<b>Paleo Comfort Foods: Homestyle Cooking for a Gluten-Free Kitchen</b><br />
<br />
One of the challenges with following a low carb, paleo, or any unusual diet is the social aspect of it. There are always recipe books available, but in the end, the food is just... different. This book "Paleo Comfort Foods" gives us a way around that. The recipes yield highly palatable food that look normal. They do this by substituting ingredients like almond or coconut flour for normal flour found in standard recipe books.<br />
<br />
This book is excellent. The food recommendations are aligned pretty well with the <a href="http://www.emotionsforengineers.com/2010/01/eat-food-light-on-carbs-mindfully-e4e.html" target="_BLANK">e4e recommendations.</a> It has a lot of foods that look like
standard comfort foods. Your Aunt Mildred from Dubuque would recognize
most of the dishes. However, what she wouldn't know is that those mashed
potatoes are really cauliflower, and that the breading on the chicken
is almond flour. If you want to follow a paleo diet (stay away from
grains, added sugars, and processed seed oils) yet still wish to
function in a world of people who do not follow that way of eating, this
book provides a perfect bridge.<br />
<br />
It is an impressive book. The photos are beautiful. The cover has a photo of fried chicken, mixed vegetables and what looks like mashed potatoes and gravy. But looks can be deceiving. The mashed potatoes are cauliflower, the fried chicken has an almond flour coating and was fried in coconut oil.<br />
<br />
It is not a low carb cookbook per se, but rather is good real food, with carbohydrates coming mainly from vegetables, fruit, and root vegetables, such as sweet potatoes.<br />
<br />
Recipes:<br />
The book is in six sections<br />
1. starters and snacks: examples - spicy salmon salad or dip, devilish eggs, maryland crab cakes, bacon-wrapped dates<br />
2. sauces and staples: chimichurri, not peanut sauce, paleo mayonaisse, cave ketchup, turkey gravy<br />
3. soups and salads: creamy caesar salad, gingered butternut squash salad, chicken tomatillo stew<br />
4. on the side: mashed cauliflower; creamed spinach; scattered, smothered and chunked sweet hash, sweet potato spears, dirty cauliflower "rice" <br />
5. main dishes: green eggs and turkey, ham and egg cups, chicken breasts with mushroom sauce, chicken enchiladas, fried chicken, cedar-plank chipotle salmon<br />
6. desserts: banana nut bread, strawberry shortcakes, jules' banana pudding, sweet potato pie, luscoius lemon squares<br />
<br />
Also Robb Wolf does the foreword, there is a section on foods to keep around the house, and a section on essential kitchen tools.<br />
<br />
<b>Bottom Line:</b> We have tried a half dozen recipes from this book. All have been great. (One suggestion though--if you make the decadent chocolate cake with a kick, dial back a little on the pepper). I heartily recommend this book.<br />
<br />
<br />
A few final words:<br />
Kurt Harris of the Archevore blog might disapprove of this book as being akin to <a href="http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/p-nu/201104/smoking-candy-cigarettes">smoking candy cigarettes</a>. That is by creating food in the form of unhealthy foods we encourage people around us to eat those unhealthy foods. From a purist standpoint, I see where he's coming from. But sometimes, we just don't want to have to explain our choices to people.<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=emotforengi-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=1936608936" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=emotforengi-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=0982565844" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>Tony Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688318289784215712noreply@blogger.com1222 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94607, USA37.7964534 -122.276015237.7948849 -122.2784827 37.798021899999995 -122.27354770000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194600066391868656.post-15811610494999590232011-08-08T08:44:00.000-07:002011-08-11T08:48:56.888-07:00Ancestral Health Symposium NotesI have just attended an amazing event--the <a href="http://ancestryfoundation.org/" target="_blank">Ancestral Health Symposium</a>. It was an incredible few days. I want to tell you all about it, but have no idea where to start, so I'll just wade in.<br />
<br />
<b>What Is It?</b><br />
<br />
A two day conference held on the UCLA Campus on August 5 and 6. The conference featured <a href="http://ancestryfoundation.org/Schedule.html" target="_blank">many presentations</a> about the "Paleo" diet and exercise (all the talks will be put online over the next few months). In some of my posts on diet, I have mentioned this philosophy, so I'll start with some of the basics.<br />
<br />
<b>Ancestral Framework</b><br />
<br />
There is not at present a standards committee that declares what is and isn't paleo. I think of it more as a framework for thinking about what is healthy for us. The idea is that, fundamentally, humans are the product of millions and millions of years of evolution. We have both very primitive and very sophisticated chemical signaling systems in our body. Our bodies evolved through many different environments and circumstances.<br />
<br />
In the last few hundred years, and especially in the last 30 or so years, we seem to be falling apart as a species. Worldwide, obesity and diabetes are skyrocketing. A key hypothesis behind this ancestral health movement is that the foods introduced into our collective diet, since the dawn of agriculture, and especially in the past few hundred years is literally killing us. It is becoming increasingly evident that although we are living longer, we are doing so with lower health than ever before.<br />
<br />
Much of the press and publicity for this approach to health have focused on caveman re-enactment and Fred Flintstone slabs of beef. That is simply not the point of the Ancestral Health movement. In any event<br />
<br />
<b>Ancestral Diet</b><br />
<br />
Defining the paleo diet is easiest to do by exclusion:<br />
1. Eliminate refined sugar, limit highly concentrated natural natural sugars<br />
2. Eliminate grains in general<br />
3. Eliminate oils from seeds, e.g. canola, cottonseed, and corn oil<br />
<br />
Within the paleo community, some say you should go further and<br />
4. Eliminate legumes i.e. beans<br />
5. Eliminate dairy and dairy products<br />
<br />
What remains then is animal products (muscle, organs, and fat from animals including fish, fowl, beef, pork), vegetables (both starchy and green leafy), fruit (whole fruit, not juice), nuts. <br />
<br />
Because so many foods have changed so much in the last 10,000 years, (the advent of agriculture), we can really only guess at the specific nutrients in paleo-man's diet. There is a general consensus in the community that it is best if the animals that you eat, eat their natural diets, e.g. <a href="http://www.grasslandbeef.com/StoreFront.bok" target="_blank">grass fed beef</a>, wild-caught fish. The community also seems to believe that omega-6 oils are more prone to oxidation than other oils, so fish oil supplementation or reduction of the omega-6 oils in the diet are important. Let's not forget the <a href="http://www.emotionsforengineers.com/2009/04/is-vitamin-d-silver-bullet.html" target="_blank">importance of sunshine</a>.<br />
<br />
The community tends towards some degree of variability to mimic ancient patterns e.g. there were not strawberries year round in our distant past, so eating seasonally may have value; periodic fasts without food whether for 16 hours or a few days are probably something we can handle without undue problems and that might even have benefits.<br />
<br />
In its current incarnation the paleo community has rallied around a self-experimentation paradigm. It's not "anything goes", but rather within the above guidelines, try different approaches and see what works for you.<br />
<br />
I will put out some more details on diet and some revisions to the E4E recommendations in the near future.<br />
<br />
<b>Ancestral Exercise</b><br />
<br />
There is much less consensus around and focus on what constitutes true paleo exercise and how to gain benefits related to that. I would say that in general, there is less emphasis on "chronic cardio" and more emphasis on periodic intensity in exercise, as well as natural movement (running, jumping, climbing).<br />
<br />
<b>Interesting Talks</b><br />
<br />
The conference was announced about a year ago and when tickets went on sale, I started to try to arrange my schedule, etc. I waited a little too long, so by the time I tried to buy a ticket, the conference was sold out. However, they needed volunteers, so I was able to participate as a volunteer. I was present but working for many of the talks and had down time as well to focus on them.<br />
<br />
Here is a list of the talks that I really liked and that people seemed to be buzzing about:<br />
Denise Minger - How to Argue with a Vegetarian<br />
Nora Gedgaudis - lots of amazing stuff on mind-body integration<br />
Tom Naughton - entertaining talk on bad science<br />
Erwan LeCorre - moving naturally<br />
Melissa McEwen - clues from the colon (humans are unique)<br />
Emily Deans and Jamie Scott - the rainforest in your gut<br />
Dr. BG and Tim Gerstmar - curing autism through diet<br />
Pedro Bastos - Dairy<br />
Robert Lustig - Fructose and Leptin<br />
Mat Lalonde - heavy chemistry talk, but the real message was that paleo needs to go beyond caveman and have really good science<br />
Andreas Eenfeldt - Sweden's experience with lower carb as their national paradigm<br />
Richard Nikoley - representing the blogosphere, <a href="http://freetheanimal.com/2011/08/my-ancestral-health-symposium-presentation-self-experimentation.html" target="_blank">how he has used self-experimentation to lose 70 pounds and become a better animal</a><br />
<br />
All the talks will go on the internet. They will first be uploaded in raw form, but later with some editing and polish. I have little information beyond these talks. I was either not in on the buzz, they were rehashing old material, or possibly were not well received.<br />
<br />
In the meantime, here are some other bloggers' takes on the event.<br />
<a href="http://ethicaleats.blogspot.com/2011/08/woodstock-of-evolutionary-medicine-part.html" target="_blank">http://ethicaleats.blogspot.com/2011/08/woodstock-of-evolutionary-medicine-part.html </a><br />
<a href="http://naturallyengineered.com/blog/?p=4725" target="_blank">http://naturallyengineered.com/blog/?p=4725</a><br />
<a href="http://livinlavidalowcarb.com/blog/must-hear-podcast-interviews-after-attending-the-2011-ancestral-health-symposium/11446">http://livinlavidalowcarb.com/blog/must-hear-podcast-interviews-after-attending-the-2011-ancestral-health-symposium/11446</a><br />
<a href="http://jackkruse.com/my-very-fresh-initial-thoughts-of-ahs-2011/" target="_blank">http://jackkruse.com/my-very-fresh-initial-thoughts-of-ahs-2011/</a><br />
<a href="http://www.mattmetzgar.com/matt_metzgar/2011/08/back-from-ahs.html" target="_blank">http://www.mattmetzgar.com/matt_metzgar/2011/08/back-from-ahs.html</a><br />
<a href="http://whole9life.com/2011/08/whole9-goes-to-the-ahs/" target="_blank">http://whole9life.com/2011/08/whole9-goes-to-the-ahs/</a><br />
<a href="http://blog.cholesterol-and-health.com/2011/08/reflections-on-ancestral-health.html" target="_blank">http://blog.cholesterol-and-health.com/2011/08/reflections-on-ancestral-health.html</a><br />
<a href="http://www.wildnessandwonder.com/2011/08/initial-thoughts-from-the-ancestral-health-symposium/">http://www.wildnessandwonder.com/2011/08/initial-thoughts-from-the-ancestral-health-symposium/</a><br />
<a href="http://perfecthealthdiet.com/?p=4244" target="_blank">http://perfecthealthdiet.com/?p=4244</a><br />
<a href="http://evolutionarypsychiatry.blogspot.com/2011/08/ahs-people-post.html?spref=tw">http://evolutionarypsychiatry.blogspot.com/2011/08/ahs-people-post.html?spref=tw</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>E4E Experience</b><br />
<br />
I met and spoke with a lot of people while there. I was extremely gratified and thrilled at how many were familiar with this blog. I have no illusions about its place in the blogosphere, but there were a few conversations of note.<br />
<br />
J. Stanton <a href="http://www.gnolls.org/" target="_blank">of gnolls.org</a>, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gnoll-Credo-J-Stanton/dp/0982667132?ie=UTF8&tag=emotforengi-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Gnoll Credo</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=emotforengi-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0982667132" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />, saw my name tag and told me that he had sent someone to my <a href="http://www.emotionsforengineers.com/2009/09/causes-of-gout.html" target="_blank">gout post</a> and that a month later the man was free of gout. The person had made a number of changes, but my gout post was a reference for him.<br />
<br />
Another person I met was Krista Scott-Dixon, whose work I have perused for years. She has long been a proponent of women lifting actual weights (not the pink ones). Her dork to diva series is really good and she has put out lots of good information through the years. She is also editor-in-chief of <a href="http://spezzatino.com/" target="_blank">Spezzatino</a>. I introduced myself to her, she told me that she knew about E4E and in fact had used one of my posts (I think <a href="http://www.emotionsforengineers.com/2007/05/communication-101.html" target="_blank">this one</a>) with one of her clients. I was totally thrilled that someone who I have followed through he years was familiar with my stuff.<br />
<br />
Finally, I shared a house for the three nights with a really cool group of people from the Bay Area including a few fellow bloggers, so check out <a href="http://ethicaleats.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">An Omnivore's Decision</a> and <a href="http://ethicaleats.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Primal Girl in a Modern World</a>. Thanks to Tess for doing all the work to get the house lined up.<br />
<br />
I will also thank <a href="http://www.grasslandbeef.com/StoreFront.bok" target="_blank">US Wellness Meats</a> for saving my (figurative) bacon from the fast food in the student union at UCLA. The beef sticks and jerky made me tingle in the best possible way.<br />
<br />
I feel really energized after hearing the E4E feedback from people, listening to the amazing talks, and all the geeky discussions. Over the coming months, as the edited lectures become available, I plan to highlight some of the key ones.<br />
<br />
Stay tuned.Tony Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688318289784215712noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194600066391868656.post-13823679490536653202011-07-22T08:30:00.000-07:002015-08-03T14:59:25.851-07:00My Voice on the Internets - Jimmy Moore Low Carb ConversationsJimmie Moore and Mindy Noxon Iannotti spoke with Kim Bosold and me a few weeks ago on Jimmy's newest podcast endeavor "Low Carb Conversations." Hear the discussion at<a href="http://www.lowcarbconversations.com/298/19-tony-kenck-kim-bosold-embrace-battle-on-bagel/"> this link</a>.<br />
<br />
Here is my <a href="http://www.emotionsforengineers.com/2010/01/eat-food-light-on-carbs-mindfully-e4e.html" target="_blank">most recent post extolling my dietary perspective</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.emotionsforengineers.com/2010/08/jama-dietary-guidelines-in-21st-century.html" target="_blank">My take on a recent JAMA letter </a> Proposing real food.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.emotionsforengineers.com/2009/09/causes-of-gout.html" target="_blank">Here is my take on Gout</a>.<br />
<br />
Some of my relationship posts get a lot of hits too.<br />
<a href="http://www.emotionsforengineers.com/2007/05/emotions-feelings-are-facts.html" target="_blank">Feelings are Facts</a><br />
<a href="http://www.emotionsforengineers.com/2007/05/nature-of-love-part-1-falling-in-love.html" target="_blank">The Nature of Love 1</a><br />
<a href="http://www.emotionsforengineers.com/2007/05/nature-of-love-part-2-staying-in-love.html" target="_blank">The Nature of Love 2</a><br />
<a href="http://www.emotionsforengineers.com/2007/08/emotional-needs-in-relationship.html" target="_blank">Emotional Needs In a Relationship</a><br />
<a href="http://www.emotionsforengineers.com/2007/08/more-on-needs-in-relationship.html" target="_blank">More on Needs In a Relationship</a><br />
<br />
Please be sure to subscribe either through email or RSS.<br />
<br />
I hope you enjoy!Tony Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688318289784215712noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194600066391868656.post-67374182371371823752011-06-12T09:32:00.000-07:002011-06-16T16:54:39.227-07:00Coming Into the LightI have given it a lot of thought. When I started Emotions For Engineers (e4e), I decided to keep it as anonymous as I reasonably could. I am not a saint, and my life is not perfect. I was concerned about a couple of scenarios. First, that I would say something here that would have a negative impact on my work, or alternatively, that people would assume that I was writing autobiographically when I wasn't. That, and frankly, it's a little embarrassing to me personally just how late in life it was before I began to understand so many thing about relationships, health, love.<br />
<br />
In the first case it could affect my ability to earn a living, in the second, I was concerned how people might treat my wife or other members of my family.<br />
<br />
I am still concerned about those things. But I am going to come clean anyway.<br />
<br />
Angelo Coppola, who has a blog and a podcast called<a href="http://www.latestinpaleo.com/"> Latest in Paleo</a> in his <a href="http://www.latestinpaleo.com/blog/2011/3/28/latest-in-paleo-episode-9-dukan-diet-atkins-an-lsd-millionai.html">March 28, 2011 podcast</a> (at 14:35) mentioned the e4e <a href="http://www.emotionsforengineers.com/2010/08/jama-dietary-guidelines-in-21st-century.html" target="_blank">blog post about the JAMA recommendations</a>, and I realized that I want personal recognition for what I do here. Even more than the recognition though, I think that having a person associated with the writing will make it more effective. This is not a moneymaker for me (although I have made about $15 from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2F%23&tag=emotforengi-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">Amazon</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=emotforengi-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />).<br />
<br />
Also, my wife tells me it's good for transparency and to show vulnerability. Plus, I was tired of trying to be careful about this, although I am confident that anyone with reasonable skill in the art of <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=google-fu" target="_blank">google-fu</a> could figure out who I am.<br />
<br />
So, my name is Tony Kenck. I live in Oakland, CA, and work for Chevron as a Manager of Strategic Planning. I am married to my second wife, my first marriage having ended in divorce after two children. I have a BSc in Geophysical Engineering from Colorado School of Mines, and I have an MBA from the University of St. Thomas in Houston.<br />
<br />
I was born in 1957 and have no religious affiliation. My wife and I each have two children from previous marriages. Hers have lived with us. All are either in college or out on their own now.<br />
<br />
I also have a <a href="http://kenckar.blogspot.com/">personal blog</a> where I write about various subjects including politics, business planning, portfolio analysis, or whatever strikes my fancy.<br />
<br />
And by the way, you may have noticed a dearth of postings lately. We were in the process of empty nesting and moving out of our family-sized San Ramon home to a small condo in Oakland. Over the last six months we have been busy selling, buying, moving, disposing, storing, borrowing, negotiating, buying, and planning. Thanks for your patience and understanding. More posts to come.Tony Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688318289784215712noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194600066391868656.post-14869290011968031152010-11-20T10:06:00.000-08:002010-11-24T10:35:42.720-08:00Government in Our Kitchens<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRW0NDTYgUh-_YdFnCGYnMQ0SS3qhC7EBxK55iMctQQ65DGTFeMy9QiV8tr4vWcbIL827pdkhNJPV-b8UhMHnIw6tx09P-f22RBWH6xm9V8rESY4fgV7aY-W6p-nREZdoOXFplma_2oOX3/s1600/101110_palin_cookies_compy_ap_328580x314.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRW0NDTYgUh-_YdFnCGYnMQ0SS3qhC7EBxK55iMctQQ65DGTFeMy9QiV8tr4vWcbIL827pdkhNJPV-b8UhMHnIw6tx09P-f22RBWH6xm9V8rESY4fgV7aY-W6p-nREZdoOXFplma_2oOX3/s320/101110_palin_cookies_compy_ap_328580x314.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>This <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/10_48/b4205044187091.htm" target="_blank">recent article </a>about Sarah Palin serving cookies to kids to protest government incursions into our food choices caught my eye. <i>(Disclaimer: I am not a Sarah Palin fan, but this article is not much about her anyway.)</i><br />
<br />
I agree with her sentiment, government should not be involved in our food choices. There are some unfortunate realities to deal with however.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ol><li>They are <b>already</b> in our food choices. The USDA has pushed US Agriculture on the American public for over 100 years. Remember that their mission has historically been to promote American agriculture. It was NOT to ensure the health of Americans by better food choices. There is damage to undo. Recently they added the following words to their strategic plan "...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10px;"> improving nutrition and health by providing food assistance and nutrition education and promotion..."</span></li>
<li>Various food programs exist, e.g. school lunches, and follow the unfortunate guidelines laid out by the food pyramid.</li>
<li>Government does have a clearly legitimate role in feeding our armed forces.</li>
<li>The food industry, left to its own devices, has repeatedly shown preference to profits over food safety. This applies to other industries as well.</li>
</ol><br />
On the first two issues, it is <a href="http://www.emotionsforengineers.com/2010/01/eat-food-light-on-carbs-mindfully-e4e.html">no secret</a> that I believe that the grain-based food pyramid has directly led to the epidemic of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metabolic_syndrome" target="_blank">metabolic syndrome</a> including increased diabetes and heart disease. The USDA has an institutional mandate to promote the agricultural industry in the US. They do not have a mandate to improve the health of US citizens.<br />
<br />
I believe that the employees of the USDA are good people and that most have convinced themselves that they are also acting in the best interests of the health of the American people. It's the only way to deal with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance" target="_blank">cognitive dissonance</a> created by the actual results of their recommendations. Face it. We eat more carbs, less fat, the mix of fats changed to more polyunsaturated and less saturated fats, we exercise more as a society. We followed their advice.<br />
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And we're dying.<br />
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The third issue is important in that, we need to feed our warriors. I wish we were feeding them well, I don't know the facts around the food in the armed forces. I'm not going to look into it now because it's not relevant to the point I am trying to make.<br />
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The fourth one is tricky. I am a libertarian at heart, but industries have shown repeatedly that left to their own devices, they poison the environment, do not look out for worker safety, and do not follow safe practices in their products. There are plenty of examples and counterexamples, but corners get cut in the pursuit of profits time and again. I think over the long term, companies that protect its workers and the environment will win. In the short term though, they seem to have no problem killing people.<br />
<br />
I am not saying that government gets it all right. They assuredly do not. But contrary to the fantasies of Ayn Rand, government may be the only force large enough and with enough stroke to counter destructive industrial practices in the short term. It could be done better, e.g. I believe that the recent classification of carbon dioxide as a pollutant exceeds their authority and common sense. But overall, I am glad that OSHA and EPA exist. I believe that the net impact is positive.<br />
<br />
<b>Back To Sarah and the USDA</b><br />
<br />
So Sarah brought cookies to the kids. This is just as wrong as the food pyramid. At least local governments are trying to undo some of the damage caused by the food pyramid by banning sweetened wheat. We can argue about whether they should have a role in it, but at least, finally, the message is good. Sweet wheat is bad for you. Maybe, just maybe, they can begin to undo some of the damage wrought by the USDA.<br />
<br />
Note to Sarah: Next time you do this, please have a barbecue with bacon wrapped grass-fed filets, sweet potatoes (no marshmallows), and whole raw milk.<br />
<br />
It will send the right message on both the government meddling and on healthy dietary choices. And by the way, it would probably be the best meal the kids have had in their lives.<br />
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<a href="http://castlegrok.com/how-paleo-is-your-diet/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQu1Q2-4P6A75EffcWI6k0HxK7roXlIssqFb1mkYdGWD_feQJoF6wJ-IGMr_3R20O9-O_qypK9TxWnPZQfmBR_nOlzXnjGvGT-5nfFynNTMQS3jpUQ8jT_dPbSjSv5Hed_r9wmJVMlwFHU/s320/PaleoFoodPyramid.png" width="320" /></a>And USDA, please fix the pyramid. It has been proven dangerous <b>because</b> people comply. Consider something like this food pyramid from <a href="http://castlegrok.com/how-paleo-is-your-diet/" target="_blank">Castle Grok</a>.<br />
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<i>Addendum: I stumbled across some information on <a href="http://www.mreinfo.com/">miltary food</a> (<a href="http://www.mreinfo.com/us/mre/mres.html">MREs</a>), which is what the soldiers eat in the field.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>They are 51% carbs, 13% protein, 36% fat, and 1200 Calories. The idea is that they eat 3 of these per day.</i><br />
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For more on Cognitive Dissonance check out:<br />
<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=emotforengi-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0156033909&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><br />
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For more on diet science and health check out:<br />
Good Calories, Bad Calories<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=emotforengi-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1400033462&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>Tony Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688318289784215712noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194600066391868656.post-82388309636147458992010-11-01T00:24:00.000-07:002011-05-20T16:44:02.923-07:00Communication: Owning Your Feelings and The Public EyeIn my <a href="http://www.emotionsforengineers.com/2007/05/emotions-feelings-are-facts.html" target="_blsnk">Feelings are Facts post</a>, I talked about how to communicate feelings. You say, "I feel frightened when you yell." It puts a simple fact on the table that nobody can dispute or find fault with.<br />
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Now, I find myself in a position to modify a part of that. It is absolutely the right thing to say still, but you need to make sure that your audience is at a point where they can hear the truth.<br />
<br />
There were two incidents recently where this played out.<br />
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<b>Juan Williams of NPR</b><br />
<br />
Juan Williams was employed as a commentator by both National Public Radio (NPR) and Fox News. Being interviewed on The O'Reilly Factor on Fox News, he said, <i>"If I see people who are in Muslim garb and I think, you know, they are identifying themselves first and foremost as Muslims, I get worried. I get nervous." </i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRwok2Ffoys" target="_blsnk">A clip of the interview is here.</a><br />
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This was part of a larger conversation where Williams was in fact speaking against demonizing an entire religion because of the actions of a relative few. He was actually pointing out that his feelings were not rational and not a basis for any kind of policy.<br />
<br />
Regardless, his statement was decried as bigoted and he was promptly fired by NPR. (Don't cry for him though, <a href="http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/10/22/juan-williams-strikes-back-by-getting-a-new-job-and-more-money/" target="_blsnk">Fox offered him a $2 million contract</a>).<br />
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<b><i>E4E Take on Williams</i></b><br />
<br />
So was it bigoted? If he had said "Muslims are evil," then I would agree he was being bigoted and not speaking factually. Demonstrably there are non-evil Muslims. His words however were clean.<br />
<br />
He used the word "get" in place of "feel," but I think it's the same. He may be pre-judging the part about their identification, but he simply said that he is nervous around these people who dress differently. He didn't speak badly of them, he owned his feelings.<br />
<br />
Bottom Line is that NPR was out to get him and just waiting for him to slip. It's too bad because it closes off an avenue for public rational discourse. This goes beyond political correctness.<br />
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<b>Maura Kelly of Marie Claire</b><br />
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Kelly wrote an <a href="http://www.marieclaire.com/sex-love/dating-blog/overweight-couples-on-television" target="_blsnk">article</a> about overweight people on TV. Much of the article was fine, she said that our country's obsession with physical perfection is unhealthy, and at the same time, it's probably not good to be glorifying obesity. So far so good.<br />
<br />
Then she dropped the bomb.<br />
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<i>"So anyway, yes, I think I'd be grossed out if I had to watch two characters with rolls and rolls of fat kissing each other ... because I'd be grossed out if I had to watch them doing anything. To be brutally honest, even in real life, I find it aesthetically displeasing to watch a very, very fat person simply walk across a room — just like I'd find it distressing if I saw a very drunk person stumbling across a bar or a heroine addict slumping in a chair.</i><br />
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</i><br />
<i>"Now, don't go getting the wrong impression: I have a few friends who could be called plump. I'm not some size-ist jerk. And I also know how tough it can be for truly heavy people to psych themselves up for the long process of slimming down. (For instance, the overweight maintenance guy at my gym has talked to me a little bit about how it seems worthless for him to even try working out, because he's been heavy for as long as he can remember.)</i><br />
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</i><br />
<i>"But ... I think obesity is something that most people have a ton of control over. It's something they can change, if only they put their minds to it."</i><br />
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She received megabytes of hate mail and issued an apology.<br />
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<b><i>E4E take on Kelly</i></b><br />
First of all, she is young (30s), beautiful, single, thin, never had kids, and by her own admission, has <a href="http://www.marieclaire.com/sex-love/dating-blog/living-flirtiously-blog-info" target="_blsnk">never been in love</a>. So, I think it is safe to say that she is a self-absorbed person who can't relate to people who have families.<br />
<br />
She expressed feelings adequately. In her first paragraph she said she'd "...be grossed out..." and "...find it aesthetically displeasing...", and "...find it distressing..." So she is expressing feelings of displeasure, distress, and disgust. So from a communication standpoint, what she said is defensible.<br />
<br />
What she lacks completely is empathy. I'm sure she works hard to maintain her weight and has time to go to the gym and not have responsibilities for others in her life. She lives and works in the fashion world bubble and, based on her writing, seems to have no idea of what real life is.<br />
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Her weight loss message sounds fine. She goes on to say, "...eat more fresh and unprocessed foods, read labels and avoid foods with any kind of processed sweetener in them whether it's cane sugar or high fructose corn syrup, increase the amount of fiber you're getting, get some kind of exercise for 30 minutes at least five times a week, and do everything you can to stand up more — even while using your computer — and walk more."<br />
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You can't argue with that (<a href="http://www.emotionsforengineers.com/2010/01/eat-food-light-on-carbs-mindfully-e4e.html" target="_blsnk">although it needs more specifics to actually be useful</a>), but it is what millions of people try to do and fail at.<br />
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--on soapbox-- It's not because of an epidemic of sloth and gluttony. Rather, it is because so many people's metabolisms have been perturbed by the standard American diet, which has been promoted by the USDA (food pyramid), doctors and congress. People living according to those guidelines are becoming diabetic and succumbing to the symptoms of the metabolic syndrome in increasing numbers. It's good for the grain and pharmaceutical industries though. When obese people try to get help they get the old calories in - calories out pep talk. Yes, most people can overcome obesity, but at a societal level, there is a tremendous amount of education that needs to be done in order to effect significant change. It starts with knowledge.--off soapbox=--<br />
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Bottom Line on Kelly is that although her words are fine, she is horribly insensitive to people who have been misled by our culture, our scientists, and our leaders. She owned her feelings, then went on to blame the victims. She chastises them by her false opinion about how easy it is to change. She also has her own body image issues an they spilled over into her writing. Please check out the <a href="http://www.danoah.com/2010/10/arm-for-maura.html" target="_blank">Single Dad Laughing blog</a> for a more sympathetic perspective of Ms. Kelly.<br />
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<b>Overall</b><br />
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I am not defending either of these two people's opinions or feelings. I do not feel scared of Muslims, and I do not feel the same repulsion of large people. But, they owned their own feelings. Being public figures associated with the media, they both should have known better. The emotional intelligence of the American people is not very high, and Williams was probably on the bubble anyway with NPR.<br />
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I have no problem with political correctness in the way that I think about it. It boils down to speaking the truth objectively. People who complained were unprepared to hear the truth from these two folks. They wanted or expected them to be perfect, bland people devoid of human emotions, and if they had them to not share those emotions.<br />
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We all have to be careful with our words. They matter in many ways. Both of the journalists have a great opportunity to learn that simply saying something right does not mean that it is the right thing to say.Tony Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688318289784215712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194600066391868656.post-40327360432409814582010-08-20T22:08:00.000-07:002016-06-13T08:49:01.984-07:00JAMA: Dietary Guidelines in the 21st Century - a Time for FoodThe Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) has a commentary in the August 11 edition entitled: "Dietary Guidelines in the 21st Century - a Time for Food" by Darius Mozaffarian, MD, DrPH and David S. Ludwig, MD, PhD.<br />
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The purpose of this post is to summarize and review the article and to talk about whether it is consistent with the e4e dietary recommendations. Special thanks to <a href="http://itsofinterest.com/about/" target="_blank">Ashley</a> at <a href="http://itsofinterest.com/" target="_blank">itsofinterest.com</a> for providing me with a copy of the article.<br />
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<b>Commentary Overview</b><br />
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The second part of the title is a great start. A time for food. The article itself is in three parts, I will summarize the parts below.<br />
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<b>Section 1 - Introduction</b><br />
In the introduction in the commentary, they talk about how the last 200 years have been characterized by the discovery of finer and finer detail of the nutrients and nutrient deficiencies that led to widespread disease. This has led to a reductionist perspective in our food choices.<br />
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<b>Section 2 - Dietary Guidelines in the Age of Chronic Disease</b><br />
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This reductionist view led to guidelines in the 70s and 80s around minimum and maximum intakes of nutrients. Although appealing, the RDAs have not worked, perhaps simply because of the complexity involved in translating these recommendations into real dietary choices. <i>I will copy the last paragraph of this section directly with some highlights of my own. It is an amazing admission.</i><br />
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"Nutritional science has advanced rapidly, and the evi-<br />
dence now demonstrates the major limitations of nutrient-<br />
based metrics for prevention of chronic disease. <strong>The propor-</strong><br />
<strong>tion of total energy from fat appears largely unrelated to risk</strong><br />
<strong>of cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, or obesity. <span style="background-color: yellow;">Satu-</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="background-color: yellow;">rated fat—targeted by nearly all nutrition-related profes-</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="background-color: yellow;">sional organizations and governmental agencies—has little re-</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="background-color: yellow;">lation to heart disease within most prevailing dietary patterns.</span></strong><br />
Typical recommendations to consume at least half of total<br />
energy as carbohydrate, a<strong> nutrient for which humans have no</strong><br />
<strong>absolute requirement,</strong> <span style="background-color: yellow;">conflate foods with widely divergent</span><br />
<span style="background-color: yellow;">physiologic effects (eg, brown rice, white bread, apples).</span> <strong>Foods</strong><br />
<strong>are grouped based on protein content (chicken, fish, beans,</strong><br />
<strong>nuts)<span style="background-color: yellow;"> despite demonstrably different health effects</span>.</strong> With <strong>few</strong><br />
<strong>exceptions</strong> (eg, omega-3 fats, trans fat, salt), <strong><span style="background-color: yellow;">individual com-</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="background-color: yellow;">pounds in isolation have small effects on chronic diseases</span></strong>.8<br />
Thus,<strong> little of the</strong> <strong>information found on food labels’</strong> “nutri-<br />
tion facts” panels <strong>provides useful guidance</strong> for selecting<br />
healthier foods to prevent chronic disease."<br />
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<i>All I can say is WOW.</i><br />
<i>To sum up:</i><br />
<i>Fat ingestion, in general, is fine.</i><br />
<i>Saturated Fat is not bad.</i><br />
<i>Carbohydrate food sources are not necessary and are not created equal.</i><br />
<i>Protein food sources are not created equal.</i><br />
<i>Individual compounds in isolation are largely unimportant.</i><br />
<i>Food labels suck.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>The only thing that I wildly disagree with in this paragraph is that they included salt as a compound as an exception to the compounds in isolation comment. Salt is nowhere close to the villain that people make it out to be.</i><br />
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<b>Section 3 - The Need for a New Approach</b><br />
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This is the longest section, and I would have broken it into at least two parts, but I digress.<br />
<br />
They start this section by citing associations between food classes and disease from a paper called "Dietary Patterns and risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease, cancer, and all causes in a prospective cohort of women", by Heideman, Schulze, Franco, et al.<br />
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They go on to say that the effects of foods "likely reflect complex, synergistic contributions from<br />
and interactions among food structure, preparation methods, fatty acid profile, carbohydrate quality (e.g, glycemic index, fiber content), protein type, micronutrients, and phytochemicals." <i>So far so good</i>.<br />
<br />
Then they say that "Healthy eating patterns share many characteristics, emphasizing whole or minimally processed foods and vegetable oils, with few highly processed foods or sugary beverages. Such diets are also naturally lower in salt, trans fat, saturated fat, refined carbohydrates, and added sugars; are higher in unsaturated fats, fiber, antioxidants, minerals, and phytochemicals; and are more satiating." <i>This is mostly ok, but they are somewhat contradicting their earlier statement that saturated fat is ok. They're still missing the boat on salt, and unsaturated fats are a mixed bag. Unsaturated fat is not by itself good or bad. The devil is in the details.</i><br />
<br />
They continue by saying that the nutrient based approach to diet has fostered products that replace fat with refined carbohydrate, "providing an aura of healthiness but without<br />
actual health benefits." A national obesity prevention program categorizes whole-milk yogurt and cheese with french fries and donuts as foods together (eat only occasionally). Puts sauteed vegetables and canned tuna in the same category as pretzels and processed cheese spread (eat sometimes). Puts trimmed beef and vegetables and fat free mayonnaise as foods to eat almost anytime. They fortify processed food parts with vitamins and call them healthy.<br />
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Recently, there has been movement towards recommending food rather than simply nutrients. Nutrients are still important, we should not simply throw away the last several decades. Although this is a promising direction, they believe that much research work still remains to be done.<br />
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They finish with the following:<br />
<br />
"The relatively recent focus on nutrients parallels an increas-<br />
ing discrepancy between theory and practice: the greater the<br />
focus on nutrients, the less healthful foods have become. As<br />
national and international organizations update dietary guide-<br />
lines, <em>nutrient targets should largely be replaced by food-based</em><br />
<em>targets.</em> Such change would facilitate translation to the pub-<br />
lic, correspond with scientific advances in chronic disease pre-<br />
vention, mitigate industry manipulation, and remedy wide-<br />
spread misperceptions about what constitutes healthful diets.<br />
<br />
"Although this approach may seem radical, it actually rep-<br />
resents a<em> return to more traditional, time-tested ways of eat-</em><br />
<em>ing.</em> Healthier food-based dietary patterns have existed for<br />
generations among some populations. Modern nutritional<br />
science now provides substantial evidence for how foods and<br />
food-based patterns affect health, guiding the design of more<br />
effective approaches for the prevention of chronic disease."<br />
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<b>e4e Take On This</b><br />
<br />
Wow. This is great. It is generally consistent with the e4e recommendations in, <a href="http://www.emotionsforengineers.com/2010/01/eat-food-light-on-carbs-mindfully-e4e.html" target="_blank">"Eat Food, Light on Carbs, Mindfully."</a> I talk about some general targets for macronutrients, depending on goals, but interestingly once you go light on carbs and stick to the fringes of your grocery store (food), it's hard to go too far wrong.<br />
<br />
Regarding my comments on salt, please read the article <a href="http://www.stat.berkeley.edu/users/rice/Stat2/salt.html" target="_blank">"The (Political) Science of Salt"</a> by Gary Taubes.<br />
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The 2010 food pyramid looks like it will be more of the same old stuff. This commentary represents a significant step towards dietary sanity in a mainstream medical journal. Is sanity finally winning?<br />
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<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=emotforengi-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1400033462&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>Tony Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11688318289784215712noreply@blogger.com5