Sunday Sparklies

Health, cars, and first lines

Mr. Hankey

Health

Ghost Poops - No, they don’t haunt the bathroom with spooky noises; they are not a spectre from the past. This is a bowel movement that leaves little trace on paper or bowl. It’s a Bristol Stool Scale type 4, for those that need a chart up on the bathroom wall. Supposedly, these ghosts are a good thing, indicating a healthy bowel. Note - you still should get regular screening for colon cancer.

Walking - I'm not doing a lot while we’re under yet another heat advisory - unless I get up early enough. 10,000 steps has been a traditional target for many, but it was supposedly a marketing target. A recent meta review found that improvements start at just 2,000, and recommends a target of 7,000, claiming that benefits after that are minimal. Steps done at more than a lazy amble, but also not pumped up like an Olympic power walker.

Some push for a target of a 15-minute vigorous workout instead. The article links to some helpful videos, as this is doable indoors too, if you prefer.

Healthiest fruit - Forget the ‘apple a day’ or the benefits of bananas. According to the “evidence network”, the new ‘best’ fruit is now a lemon. These are already known for their Vitamin C anti-scurvy benefits, but the article goes on to vaguely tout various anti-inflammatory properties and the ability to help regulate the body's acidity. A drizzle of lemon juice is recommended in a glass of water, but there are no numbers comparing this to the health benefits of an apple. And they ignored the ‘privilege’ of having easy access to lemons.

Edit - I realized after publishing that I should look for a comparison of apples to oranges. Or in this case, lemons. The article even looks at a comparison based on serving sizes of each fruit.

Weight gain continues - Not mine, but a global study across 34 populations found why some groups, such as Americans, keep gaining weight. They didn’t find a large variation between the 34 populations in terms of daily exercise. They did find that it’s the quality of food consumed, not quantity. A diet high in ultra-processed foods is linked to high body fat. Never mind all the other cons of this type of food.

Coke and Cane - Trump may have convinced Coca-Cola to start using “REAL Cane Sugar” in the US. As opposed to the current sweetener, high fructose corn syrup - maybe he thinks that’s fake cane sugar? His scientific reasoning is, “This will be a very good move by them — You’ll see. It’s just better!”. I do hear it tastes better. Coke made in Mexico uses cane sugar and is preferred in the southern US. I assume tariffs will affect cane sugar imports, and the US corn growers are not happy. This may have been a bargaining chip used by Trump to leverage something from somebody. Or this may just be another one of his random policies that will be quickly forgotten. No word on whether they will be adding cocaine back in.

Fewer cars

Ottawa has a new transportation master plan for the next 20 years that prioritizes transit. In terms of capital investment, this means $2.3 billion, or 59% of the $3.9 billion total, is for transit. Road investment will be considered only where transit is not enough to meet demand, such as for new developments. It would be nice if new developments were not be allowed UNTIL there was sufficient transit to meet projected needs, as once you have all those new houses with two cars each, both needed for shopping or work, it’s hard to convince those people to walk to the corner in the rain and wait for a bus. Our transit systems are still very reactive, trying desperately to fill in the gaps. We do allow more intensification near transportation hubs, and have reduced parking spot requirements for new buildings, so that’s a start.

Famous first lines

I’ll leave you with some of these. Take a guess before clicking here.

• “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

• “Call me Ishmael.”

• “We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold.”

• “All this happened, more or less.”

• Bonus - “Dave slouched in his chair, surrounded by tattoos and testosterone.” - from here