The guy at the desk next to me is spastically shaking his leg so much that the rest of his body is slowly undulating along to the beat. I have observed this in my peripheral all morning and finally glanced over to see if there was something wrong with him. He gazed at his monitor like a glassy eyed jello mold of a human being, twitching and undulating. Then I notice the empty cans of coke on the desk and the one he was nursing. It seems that soda has rendered him into a pudgy quivering pile of festering diabetes. That's when I went into the kitchen and noticed the new delivery of 116 cases of soda.
This got me thinking about how much soda this country must drink. I stopped drinking soda my senior year of high school because I read the label and realized I could be drinking water instead and avoid the pile of crap in each can, but this isn't about being on my slurry free horse. It's about benzine, aspertame, high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavoring, and the fattest country on the planet. So here are a few morsels of truth to think about over the weekend.
1. Americans consume over 600 12-ounce servings (12 oz.) per person per year. Judith Valentine
2. The relationship between soft drink consumption and body weight is so strong that researchers calculate that for each additional soda consumed, the risk of obesity increases 1.6 times. James A Howenstine M.D. A Physician’s Guide to Natural Health Products That Work
3. Coca-Cola paid the Boys & Girls Clubs of America $60 million to market its brand exclusively in over 2000 facilities.
4. Adolescents who consume soft drinks display a risk of bone fractures three to four-fold higher than those who do not. James A Howenstine M.D. A Physician’s Guide to Natural Health Products That Work
5. In a study of 91,249 women followed for eight years, those who consumed one or more soft drinks per day were twice as likely as those who consumed less than one per month to develop diabetes. American Journal of Public Health
6. A child sized portion of soda at McDonalds is now 12 ounces. They just came out with the "Hugo" weighing in at 42 ounces. No doubt an homage to Hurley from Lost (who is the best damn thing about that show).
Enjoy the weekend!
Friday, May 30, 2008
Stop Drinking Soda... And Twitching
Labels: lifestyle
Posted by
Cycle Jerk
at
6:06 PM
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
DC United Vs. Toronto FC
Good beer, good soccer, bad pants...
Posted by
Cycle Jerk
at
10:32 PM
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest
Friday, May 23, 2008
Friday Feelin' Green
One this long holiday weekend of gas consumption let's pause to consider a few things to curb the guilt... besides riding a bike.
First up from the good folks over at Metaeffcient.
The Envision Solar Grove™ is a system of solar cell canopies designed for parking lots. While providing shade for your car they eliminate light pollution, curb hazardous run off and the urban heat-island effect, all while powering the mall you parked at. I would have one over my driveway if I didn't have one of these parked there.
Start composting for free!
For all you locals out there Montgomery County MD is giving away compost bins to all residents. Compost bins can cost a ton for some reason but these durable plastic bins work great and the price is right. I picked one up from the Bethesda office last month and I am digging it. Aside from a lack of sunlight in the backyard it is doing pretty well. Check your local government waste collection agency to see if they have a similar program.
Use a reel mower.
Late last fall a neighbor put an old push reel mower on the curb which promptly snatched up like a crazy pack rat. When I bought my first house I went out and bought a pretty nice $350 dollar mower. This mower now acts as a really expensive back up to my free push reel mower which cost nothing to run, produces no harmful exhaust and best of all gives me a good upper body work out if I want. Beyond the obvious benefits, a push reel mower is much better for your lawn than an electric or gas powered mower. The clean cut of the reel mower cuts the grass rather than smashing the ends off. Also when you don't bag, the grass clippings provide a natural fertilizer for the yard.
Cook Local
Challenge yourself to get all the ingredients for your holiday BBQ from local sources. I am going to a friend's house for a nice little grillout chillout on Sunday. I am going to get all the ingredients for the dish I am bringing from the Saturday farmer's market in Silver Spring, and the Sunday farmer's market in Takoma Park. From these I should be able to get most meat, vegetable, or dairy products I need. Shopping locally means the food hasn't had to travel around the world to get to you. This gives you fresher food and less environmental impact. Why should I by apple that had to travel here from New Zealand when I can get them fresh from a farm in Purcelville?
Let's here some other green ideas that are worth passing around.
Labels: green
Posted by
Cycle Jerk
at
3:37 PM
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Wednesday Media Sampling
Bikes, plus a chick singing, plus various animal heads, and just a dash of"how many times did they have to do that?" = a video worth passing on.
Labels: video
Posted by
Cycle Jerk
at
6:36 PM
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest
Friday, May 16, 2008
Bike To Work Day - Bethesda 2008
Although it was raining there was a pretty good turnout in both Silver Spring and Bethesda this morning. In Silver Spring the festivities even included a group of local high school cheerleaders. I joined a group ride to Bethesda from the Discovery Channel HQ and was pleasantly surprised by the percentage of people on the ride who are new to bike commuting. And here I thought it was going to be a bunch of regular commuters who happened to be in the area. I guess that means the day was a success.
Lots of prizes and gifts were given out in Bethesda so I thought I would hand out a few CycleJerk Honorable Mentions:
Posted by
Cycle Jerk
at
2:36 PM
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Last Minute Bike To Work Day Motivation
Bike to Work Day is to bike commuters what Flag Day is to Betsy Ross impersonators. Yes it may rain tomorrow and you might get a little wet... (or a lot), but remember, a bunch of wet cyclists draws a lot more attention than a bunch of dry ones, and isn't that the point of tomorrow, to raise awareness about bike commuting? This year seems to be pretty well organized by WABA with group rides, pit stops, and raffles, and such it should be a pretty good time rain or shine. So think hard kids, if you are on the fence about riding to work tomorrow and remember, regret is insight that comes a day too late.
Take a look at Bikely for commuter routes and recommendations.
Posted by
Cycle Jerk
at
5:05 PM
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Glass Vs. Michelin Pro 2 Race
Posted by
Cycle Jerk
at
7:26 PM
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest
Thursday, May 8, 2008
The Perils of Bike Commuting
These images don't show the anything revealing about the Sinkhole "Men" but I have an idea of what they might look like in their natural environment.
Below, a fellow cyclist narrowly escapes the leader of the group who has donned a yellow jacket to signify his dominance over the pack.
Posted by
Cycle Jerk
at
6:19 PM
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest
Friday, May 2, 2008
The Great LSD Bike Ride and Lance's "Mellow Jonny"
Lance is embracing the urban bike scene by opening a commuting/training focused bike shop in Austin called "Mellow Jonny's"
Lance's new fixie dealio from Trek is so advanced it doesn't even need a chain. Just the gears to imply the presence of a chain is enough to propel most any hipster.
Labels: bike, lifestyle, travel
Posted by
Cycle Jerk
at
3:53 PM
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest