Orthogonal Thought | Random musings from the creator of Cooking For Engineers and Lead Architect of Fanpop

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Top 100 Foods to Improve Your Productivity

Posted 8 August, 2007 at 11:51pm by Michael Chu
(Filed under: Food) 1 comment

Rich McIver from Bootstrapper sent my this article on the top 100 things you can eat to make you more productive that they published. Sounds like an interesting article - but I just can't get through it. I always get caught up in errors or poor word choice.

For example, the first food they extole is eggplant - which "contains the nutrient naunin, which keeps your brain sharp by increasing communication between your brain cells and messenger molecules." Really? I think they actually mean nasunin (no big deal, we all make typos), and nasunin (as far as I know) is a pigment that is an antioxidant that is very effective at protecting the cell membranes in the brain. I've never heard of any studies showing bandwidth increases due to consumption of nasunin.

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Top 100 Foods to Improve Your Productivity

Cooking Deal - Sears 8-piece tri-ply cookware for $80

Posted 8 August, 2007 at 10:29am by Michael Chu

Cooking For Engineers reader Tim sent in this new deal:

Sear's has placed their 8 piece set on sale at $80, marked down from $200
until August 10 or 12.

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Cooking Deal - Sears 8-piece tri-ply cookware for $80

Violent computer games for kids? Or not?

Posted 8 August, 2007 at 8:08am by Michael Chu

According to this article, the Governor of California (action-superstar Arnold Schwartzenegger) is going to continue to fight for the banning of the sale of violent computer games to children. This comes right after a U.S. District Judge ruled that the 2005 law prohibiting the sale of violent computer games to kids violates the video game maker's First Amendment right since video games are considered a protected form of expression. I wasn't aware that the First Amendment covered the right to sell your form of expression to anyone - just your right to make your statement. Seems a little bit of a stretch to me.

When this law passed in California a couple years back, I thought it was a bit stupid. I don't know if it's unconstitutional, but I do know that it's another partial indication that parents are trying to replace time spent parenting their children with government intervention. (Instead of watching what your kids are watching, let the Federal Government dictate what can be broadcast; instead of paying attention to what games your kid is playing, just have the local shop keepers police them — I know, I know, parents are busier than ever, but are they really busier than the previous generation? And if so, should they be?) If a teenager can go to a store and pick up a DVD of The Terminator, then why shouldn't he be able to pick up an M-rated video game?

Playing Soldier Can Bring People Together

Posted 7 August, 2007 at 1:28am by Michael Chu
(Filed under: Airsoft) No comments

I spent the weekend at CQB Challenge, a training event and competition focused on military and law enforcement simulation (with special emphasis on close quarters battle). There were twelve registered teams at the event and six people who did not have a team (including myself) who were assigned together to form a team. The other twelve teams had been practicing together for at least a month and our team had one main goal: to hold our own against them even though we would only have one day to train together. Using airsoft (air propelled weapons that shoot 6mm plastic BB's) rifles and pistols, the 80 or so participants would be trained by a large staff of former and current military and law enforcement in working together as a military team. There is no camaraderie like the that of a team who has trained together as a single unit, each relying on each other wholly.
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Playing Soldier Can Bring People Together

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