The Porter Method http://www.theportermethod.com/blog A look into the thoughts and opinions from the mind of Doug Porter. Mon, 06 May 2013 20:35:14 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.4 Site Back Up And Running http://www.theportermethod.com/blog/2013/05/01/site-back-up-and-running/ http://www.theportermethod.com/blog/2013/05/01/site-back-up-and-running/#comments Wed, 01 May 2013 22:34:48 +0000 Doug Porter http://www.theportermethod.com/blog/?p=540 Continue reading →]]> After a short period of time this site is back up and running so time to get back in the groove of periodic posting. For many years this site was hosted by the company TextDrive. They were eventually sold to Joyent. Now lo and behold, the original individual who created and sold TextDrive has taken it back over. I’m looking forward to a nice continued relationship with TextDrive. I have been very pleased with them (and Joyent) over the years as a low-priced shared hosting web host. They have had their ups and downs like any small business but overall the experience has been fantastic. I highly recommend them.

]]> http://www.theportermethod.com/blog/2013/05/01/site-back-up-and-running/feed/ 0 Bone Marrow Donor Registration http://www.theportermethod.com/blog/2011/11/14/bone-marrow-donor-registration/ http://www.theportermethod.com/blog/2011/11/14/bone-marrow-donor-registration/#comments Tue, 15 Nov 2011 05:08:59 +0000 Doug Porter http://www.theportermethod.com/blog/?p=536 Continue reading →]]> I have been meaning for a long time to sign up for the bone marrow donor registry. A friend of mine was in the registry since college and was selected a couple years ago as a match for a patient in need. He had nothing but positive things to say about the experience, but for some reason I never got around to joining. Today I finally took that step and completed my registration and dropped it back in the mail.

Now one thing I wasn’t aware of prior to his experience being selected as a donor was that donating bone marrow these days involves one of two methods. There is still the old standard method where they sedate the donor and use a needle to draw marrow from the hipbone, but a majority of the time they can use a newer less invasive method. This new method involves giving the donor medicine that causes an overproduction of bone marrow cells such that the cells end up in the blood stream. Then the donor is hooked to a machine that draws out blood from one arm, processes it to separate and store the marrow cells, and then restores the blood back via the other arm. No sedation or needles in the bone required.

Unfortunately for many patients in need, the chances of finding a match are low, so as a potential donor on the registry, being selected is really a small miracle. But if you are selected, you have the opportunity to change that individual’s life forever.

What finally got me off the fence was a video posted last week on Michael Pusateri’s Cruftbox blog here: How to test for being a bone marrow donor. After seeing how simple it was I had no reason not to finally get signed up.

Take 2 minutes to watch the video and then head over to the National Marrow Donor Program website and signup to be a donor. It costs no money (though you can donate if you like) and they will mail you everything you need in a couple of days. You swab your cheeks, put the swabs in the envelope, and drop it in the mail. You could literally end up saving someone’s life.

Also, for the expectant mothers out there, you can also make a huge difference by donating umbilical cord blood after the birth. Find out more info at the Marrow Donor site here: Donate Cord Blood

]]> http://www.theportermethod.com/blog/2011/11/14/bone-marrow-donor-registration/feed/ 0 Yugoslavs in Louisiana http://www.theportermethod.com/blog/2011/01/31/yugoslavs-in-louisiana/ http://www.theportermethod.com/blog/2011/01/31/yugoslavs-in-louisiana/#comments Mon, 31 Jan 2011 11:00:23 +0000 Doug Porter http://www.theportermethod.com/blog/?p=524 Continue reading →]]> Below is an excerpt from a book detailing an experience of the Yugoslavian people in Louisiana back in 1893 during the Chenière Caminada hurricane (also called the Great October Storm). It mentions one of my wife Casey’s relatives, Matthew Kuluz, whose sons (one of which was her grandfather) eventually moved to Biloxi. The book appears to be Yugoslavs in Louisiana by Milos M. Vujnovich (Amazon.com Book Link). The version on Google Books contains different text than what is on the pages I was given and have transcribed so I’m guessing I have text from an earlier version (searching the Google Books page for Kuluz yields and index showing him on pages 141, 142, and 143). I wanted to go ahead and post it here in digital form for posterity since it does detail her family’s history. I have fixed simple grammar and spelling issues in the text, but otherwise left it intact and added a couple of hyperlinks.

Yugoslavs in Louisiana

The hurricane of October 1-2, 1893, came from the Antilles unrecorded by the Cuban or the Miami weather station so that no warnings were given to the Louisiana residents. It came upon them like a thief in the night, robbing them of their homes, their belongings, their dear ones, and in many cases their own lives. It came with winds averaging 140 miles per hour and a tidal wave estimated at 20 feet, leveling everything in its path.

October 1 was a Sunday, a day of rest and get together for the folks of Bayou Cook and vicinity. They spent the day socializing, and some remembering that it was the Sabbath, said a prayer. Toward evening menacing black clouds darkened the skies, followed by gusty rain, increased winds, and rising tides. By the time darkness fell, the experienced oystermen realized that a hurricane was blowing somewhere in the Gulf, and, without alarming their families, they hoped and prayed that it would pass them by as many storms had done before or that it would blow itself out during the night, without doing heavy damage to their homes and luggers. But it struck the Bayou Cook area at about eleven o’clock that night. The tidal wave flooded the marshes, crushed the camps, smashed the luggers, and destroyed everything in its path. Many were drowned by the wave; others were killed or injured by the falling and flying timbers. In the confusion of the onslaught of wind and water, all in complete darkness, families were torn apart, children separated from their parents, and parents from each other. The hysterical cries of desperate mothers and fathers and frightened children calling out for each other mingled with the howling wind, rain, and rushing waters. The storm raged through the night, and when daylight came it revealed a sight of destruction, desolation, and death. The timber from the wrecked camps was mixed with logs, torn trees, smashed boats, boats’ rigging, furniture, and other debris floating on the surface of the murky water. The strong wooden pilings remained fast, pointing above the water the locations of camps and happy homes which they supported a few hours before. Here and there human forms could be distinguished, some dead, others dying, and some clinging to the pilings and the debris, hoping and praying to be rescued. Most of the living were rescued before nightfall and, with the dead, were taken to higher ground. Not all the bodies were recovered, however, and not all the living and the injured were saved. Many, before the rescue parties could reach them, were swept away into the Gulf by receding waters.

All of the oystermen were seasoned sailors, and many, before settling in Louisiana to fish oysters, had navigated the oceans of the world and experienced storms on the high seas. Unhesitatingly many of them credited their survival on this night to a miracle. As they narrated later, they prayed fervently – reciting prayers they learned from their village priests – to St. Nicholas, patron saint of sailors, and to the Almighty; they made promises of sacrifices and became “believers.”

Many near miraculous escapes and many hardships were experienced by the sturdy oystermen during this hurricane, and one of the most outstanding was the survival of two immigrants from Sucuraj, Matthew Kumarich and Matthew Kuluz. They had a lugger named St. Nicolo and a camp on Razor Island in Grand Lake and worked as partners. That Sunday evening they retired to their camp to weather the storm but soon realized that this was not a mere storm but a hurricane. As the water rose they tore up some floorboards to let the water rise into the camp without severing the camp from its foundation. But the water rose so rapidly, and they climbed to the rafters hoping that it would rise no higher and that the camp would withstand the wind and waves. About midnight the camp was torn to pieces, and they were thrown amid the debris, some of which each managed to grab onto. As they were carried from the campsite they spotted an overturned submerged skiff and caught hold of it. When the morning came they realized that they had drifted out into the Gulf, miles from Razor Island. They held on to the sides of the skiff hoping a rescue boat would save them. They drifted with the skiff in open Gulf waters for four days, the hot sun beating down on their peeling skin, which was further irritated by the salty waves washing over their sore bodies. They encouraged each other as best as they could under the circumstances. Thursday passed, and sometime during the night Kumarich exclaimed: “Hvala Bogu, no svijetlo” (“Thank God, there is a light”). They recognized the Southwest Pass lighthouse. As they drifted nearer, expecting to touch the bottom at any moment, the wind suddenly shifted, and they were once more driven out to the sea.

Alternating between complete despair and faint hope, they knew that neither could hold on much longer, but as experienced sailors they also knew that their only hope lay in staying with the submerged skiff. Drifting thus for the fifth day, early Friday morning their feet touched the bottom and soon after, exhausted, and half dead, they pulled themselves ashore. Some distance away they saw a light on a boat and Kuluz, weak as he was, managed to swim to the boat and explain their situation. The lugger took them to the rescue vessel Louisiana by which they were taken to the Grand Isle railroad which took them to New Orleans. The rescue committee of the Slavonian Association took charge of them and supplied them with shelter, food, clothing and medical care. The Times-Democrat reporter interviewed them at Michael Baccich’s store on Decatur Street. Bewildered and unsure of their future, the oystermen were glad to see their compatriots Kuluz and Kumarich whom they lost. Kumarich, the larger and sturdier of the two, survived the ordeal without noticeable change, but Kuluz was not recognized by his own friends, so much had he suffered. His weight had decreased from 165 pounds to 132 pounds in six days. Kumarich later returned to his native Sucuraj and died at a very old age. Kuluz continued fishing oysters in Louisiana waters. Later, his sons moved to nearby Biloxi where they established an oyster canning factory.

After the storm passed and the waters abated completely, most of the oystermen returned to the sites of their homes. They constructed new camps and larger, safer, swifter boats, and they rebuilt and restocked their reefs.

]]> http://www.theportermethod.com/blog/2011/01/31/yugoslavs-in-louisiana/feed/ 6 The 4-Hour Body Book Links http://www.theportermethod.com/blog/2011/01/17/the-4-hour-body-book-links/ http://www.theportermethod.com/blog/2011/01/17/the-4-hour-body-book-links/#comments Mon, 17 Jan 2011 11:00:15 +0000 Doug Porter http://www.theportermethod.com/blog/?p=510 Continue reading →]]> About a year ago I read the The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss and even with the hokie title thought it was a very interesting book with lots of great information. I became a reader of Ferriss’s blog and was pleased to learn he was working on a second book on fitness. Since I read the first book from the public library, I figured I would actually purchase the next book. His new book is The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman.

Unfortunately his pre-order for the book was via Barnes and Noble, thus I had to wait almost a full week after the book came out for it to arrive (Amazon tries to time arrival with the book release date). I found it to be a very enjoyable read. It is meant to be read A-La-Carte based on your specific goals (weight loss, strength, speed, etc). This is a good recommendation because if you read it straight through (like I did) it comes across very ADD. One chapter may contradict the information given in a previous chapter (because the goals are different). Ferriss has a very enjoyable writing style and the chapters really come across as a series of blog posts (in fact many of them stem from blog posts he had written previously). While many of the recommendations are based on Ferriss’s and a small group of volunteers’s own experience, the information is rooted in research and many links and references are provided in the book. While I have not tried many of the techniques in the book (I tend to shy away from taking supplements I have never heard of at the recommendation of random authors) the information is quite interesting. I would recommend anyone that enjoys Ferriss’s blog to check out this book. It is like a collection of well written blog posts. You will go through the almost 600 pages in record time.

At the end of each chapter, Ferriss gives links to more information. I went through and collected them all here for my own reference since I didn’t visit them during reading. Some of the links are NSFW (Not Safe For Work) so click at your own risk. Also I noticed that all of the URL’s that redirect to Amazon.com use Ferriss’s affiliate links (in case that kind of thing bothers you).

4-Hour Body Website

Update: Tim has put the links with extended descriptions up on his site here: 4 Hour Body Links

Table of Contents

Start Here
Thinner, Bigger, Faster, Stronger? How to Use This Book

Fundamentals – First and Foremost
The Minimum Effective Dose: From Microwaves to Fat-loss
Rules That Change the Rules: Everything Popular Is Wrong
-Page 34
http://www.fourhourbody.com/wisdom
http://www.fourhourbody.com/almanac
http://www.fourhourbody.com/munger

Ground Zero-Getting Started and Swaraj
The Harajuku Moment: The Decision to Become a Complete Human
-Page 43
http://www.fourhourbody.com/stoicism
http://www.fourhourbody.com/friends

Elusive Bodyfat: Where Are You Really?
-Page 53
http://www.fourhourbody.com/orbitape
http://www.bodycompositioncenter.com
http://www.lifemeasurement.com/clients/locator
http://www.fourhourbody.com/bodymetrix
http://www.fourhourbody.com/escalibio
http://www.fourhourbody.com/slimguide
http://www.fourhourbody.com/evil

From Photos to Fear: Making Failure Impossible
-Page 64
http://www.fourhourbody.com/fatreplica
http://www.fourhourbody.com/pbworks
http://eat.ly
http://www.habitforge.com
http://www.stickk.com
http://www.bodybuilding.com/superhuman
http://www.dailyburn.com/superhuman

Subtracting Fat: Basics
The Slow- Carb Diet I: How to Lose 20 Pounds in 30 Days Without Exercise
-Page 78
http://www.fourhourbody.com/breakfast
http://www.stilltasty.com
http://www.foodporndaily.com
http://www.fourhourbody.com/gout

The Slow-Carb Diet II: The Finer Points and Common Questions
Damage Control: Preventing Fat Gain When You Binge
-Page 113
http://www.fourhourbody.com/binge
http://www.fourhourbody.com/cq
http://www.athleticgreens.com
http://www.fourhourbody.com/cesto
http://www.nutritiondata.com
http://www.fourhourbody.com/thera
http://www.fourhourbody.com/minibands

The Four Horsemen of Fat-Loss
-Page 120
http://www.fourhourbody.com/garlic
http://www.fourhourbody.com/greentea
http://www.fourhourbody.com/ala
http://www.fourhourbody.com/policosanol

Subtracting Fat: Advanced
Ice Age: Mastering Temperature to Manipulate Weight
-Page 132
http://www.fourhourbody.com/colpac
http://www.fourhourbody.com/diy-ice
http://www.fourhourbody.com/pugh
http://www.raycronise.com

The Glucose Switch: Beautiful Number 100
-Page 148
http://www.dexcom.com
http://www.fourhourbody.com/jazz
http://www.fourhourbody.com/app-glucose
http://www.julietmae.foodzie.com
http://www.fourhourbody.com/vest

The Last Mile: Losing the Final 5-10 Pounds
-Page 156
http://www.rxmuscle.com
http://www.fourhourbody.com/bigger
http://www.medibolics.com
http://www.fourhourbody.com/anabolics

Adding Muscle
Building the Perfect Posterior (or Losing 100+ Pounds)
-Page 170
http://www.fourhourbody.com/kettlebells

Six-Minute Abs: Two Exercises That Actually Work
-Page 180
http://www.fourhourbody.com/bosu
http://www.fourhourbody.com/stability
http://www.fourhourbody.com/hitchhiker

From Geek to Freak: How to Gain 34 Pounds in 28 Days
-Page 192
http://www.fourhourbody.com/muscles
http://www.fourhourbody.com/comparison
http://www.fourhourbody.com/cartman
http://www.fourhourbody.com/jones

Occam’s Protocol I: A Minimalist Approach to Mass
-Page 210
http://www.freeprintablecalendar.net
http://www.fourhourbody.com/youbar
http://www.fourhourbody.com/parkinsons

Occam’s Protocol II: The Finer Points

Improving Sex
The 15-Minute Female Orgasm-Part Un
-Page 236
http://www.fourhourbody.com/buckwheat
http://www.liberator.com
http://www.beautifulagony.com
http://www.sexwise.me
http://www.tallulahsulis.com
http://www.fourhourbody.com/loveorgasm

The 15-Minute Female Orgasm-Part Deux
-Page 251
http://www.fourhourbody.com/doingmethod
http://onetaste.us
http://sfsi.org/wiki/Main_Page
http://www.fourhourbody.com/roach
http://www.tinynibbles.com

Violet’s Recommended Reading
http://www.fourhourbody.com/60second
http://www.fourhourbody.com/erotica
http://www.fourhourbody.com/earth

Violet’s Recommended Tools
http://www.babeland.com
http://www.fourhourbody.com/bullet
http://www.fourhourbody.com/smoothie
http://www.fourhourbody.com/chroma
http://www.fourhourbody.com/something
http://www.fourhourbody.com/luna
http://www.kegelmasters.com

Sex Machine I: Adventures in Tripling Testosterone
-Page 260
http://www.fourhourbody.com/spectra
http://www.fourhourbody.com/butterblend
http://www.fourhourbody.com/cod
http://www.kerrygold.com/usa/locator.php
http://www.fourhourbody.com/testd
http://www.fourhourbody.com/vitamin-d
http://www.sperti.com

Happy Endings and Doubling Sperm Count
-Page 273
http://www.fourhourbody.com/armband
http://www.fourhourbody.com/pong
http://www.fourhourbody.com/disappearing
http://www.spermbankdirectory.com
http://www.spermcenter.com/sperm_bank_listings
http://www.sart.org/frame/detail.aspx?id=3893
http://www.healthgrades.com/local-doctors-directory
http://www.fourhourbody.com/fertility
http://www.findafertilityclinic.com
http://www.fourhourbody.com/semen-analysis

Perfecting Sleep
Engineering the Perfect Night’s Sleep
-Page 285
http://stereopsis.com/flux
http://www.fourhourbody.com/poppy
http://www.fourhourbody.com/zeo
http://www.fourhourbody.com/golite
http://www.fourhourbody.com/nightwave
http://www.fourhourbody.com/humidifier
http://www.lexwarelabs.com/sleepcycle
http://www.fourhourbody.com/lucid

Becoming Uberman: Sleeping Less with Polyphasic Sleep
-Page 292
http://forums.trypolyphasic.com
http://www.fourhourbody.com/everyman
http://www.supermemo.com/articles/polyphasic.htm
http://www.kukuklok.com
http://www.fourhourbody.com/clocky
http://www.wakerupper.com

Reversing Injuries
Reversing “Permanent” Injuries
-Page 317
http://www.fourhourbody.com/vibram
http://www.fourhourbody.com/terra
http://www.fourhourbody.com/toe-stretch
http://www.activerelease.com
http://www.hacketthemwall.org
http://www.aaomed.org
http://www.acopms.com
http://www.chiromat.com
http://www.fourhourbody.com/mat
http://www.scoi.com
http://www.fourhourbody.com/surgery
http://www.chiromedicalgroup.com/biopuncture
http://www.fourhourbody.com/biotensegrity
http://www.egoscue.com
http://www.fourhourbody.com/netter

How to Pay for a Beach Vacation with One Hospital Visit
-Page 323
http://www.fourhourbody.com/woodman
http://www.imtjonline.com/resources/patient-guide
http://www.bumrungrad.com
http://www.medretreat.com
http://www.medtrava.com

Pre-Hab: Injury-Proofing the Body
-Page 345
http://www.fourhourbody.com/fms
http://www.fourhourbody.com/fms-self
http://www.fourhourbody.com/cl
http://www.fourhourbody.com/tgu
http://www.fourhourbody.com/1SDL
http://www.fourhourbody.com/squat
http://www.fourhourbody.com/kayak
http://www.fourhourbody.com/cl-band
http://www.fourhourbody.com/chain
http://www.fourhourbody.com/carabiner

Running Faster and Farther
Hacking the NFL Combine I: Preliminaries-Jumping Higher
-Page 353
http://www.fourhourbody.com/jump-mat
http://www.fourhourbody.com/combine-dvd
http://store.allvet.org/abblloga.html
http://www.fourhourbody.com/wilson
http://www.fourhourbody.com/flatbed
http://www.fourhourbody.com/pool-eloi

Hacking the NFL Combine II: Running Faster
-Page 366
http://www.fourhourbody.com/defranco
http://www.fourhourbody.com/40yard
http://www.parisischool.com
http://www.fourhourbody.com/ghr

Ultraendurance I: Going from 5K to 50K in 12 Weeks-Phase I
Ultraendurance II: Going from 5K to 50K in 12 Weeks-Phase II
-Page 403
http://www.crossfitendurance.com
http://der.org/films/marathon-monks.html
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com
http://www.fourhourbody.com/roadrunner
http://www.fourhourbody.com/metronome
http://www.fourhourbody.com/exilim
http://www.fourhourbody.com/pose-method
http://www.fourhourbody.com/crossfit
http://www.fourhourbody.com/genr8
http://www.trailrunnermag.com
http://www.fourhourbody.com/borntorun
http://www.fourhourbody.com/harvard-barefoot
http://www.fourhourbody.com/talon212
http://www.fourhourbody.com/f-lite230
http://www.fourhourbody.com/talon220

-Page 401
Favorite 5 U.S. Marathons
New York City http://www.ingnycmarathon.org
Portland http://www.portlandmarathon.org
Marine Corps Marathon http://www.marinemarathon.com
Rock ‘N’ Roll San Diego http://www.rnrmarathon.com
Boston http://www.bostonmarathon.org

Top 5 Picks For First-Timers
Napa Valley http://www.napavalleymarathon.org
Hartford http://www.hartfordmarathon.com
Fargo http://www.fargomarathon.com
Dallas White Rock http://www.runtherock.com
Disney http://bit.ly/3chiv

5 Most Beautiful U.S. Marathons
Big Sur http://www.bsim.org
Boulder Backroads http://www.bouldermarathon.com
Myrtle Beach http://www.mbmarathon.com
St. George http://www.stgeorgemarathon.com
Kauai http://www.thekauaimarathon.com

Marathon Search Engines
http://www.fourhourbody.com/marathon
http://www.fourhourbody.com/race-finder

Triathlon Search Engine

http://www.trifind.com

Getting Stronger
Effortless Superhuman: Breaking World Records with Barry Ross
-Page 423
http://www.fourhourbody.com/over-under
http://www.fourhourbody.com/underground
http://www.fourhourbody.com/hsrp
http://www.fourhourbody.com/asr
http://www.fourhourbody.com/smolov
http://www.fourhourbody.com/fatgripz

Eating the Elephant: How to Add 100 Pounds to Your Bench Press
-Page 430
http://www.fourhourbody.com/bench
http://www.fourhourbody.com/primitive
http://www.powerliftingusa.com

From Swimming to Swinging
How I Learned to Swim Effortlessly in 10 Days
-Page 443
http://www.fourhourbody.com/immersion
http://www.fourhourbody.com/kaiman
http://www.fourhourbody.com/shinji
http://www.swimmersguide.com

The Architecture of Babe Ruth
-Page 452
http://www.fourhourbody.com/impact
http://www.fourhourbody.com/cevallos
http://www.theswingmechanic.com
http://www.fourhourbody.com/radar
http://www.fourhourbody.com/moneyball

How to Hold Your Breath Longer Than Houdini
-Page 457
http://www.fourhourbody.com/blaine
http://www.fourhourbody.com/krack
http://www.fourhourbody.com/freediving
http://www.fourhourbody.com/powerlung
http://www.fourhourbody.com/apnea
http://www.ftrain.com/lungvacuuming.html

On Longer and Better Life
Living Forever: Vaccines, Bleeding, and Other Fun
-Page 468
http://www.redcrossblood.org/make-donation
http://www.fourhourbody.com/bonfils
http://www.blood.co.uk
http://www.alcor.org
http://www.fourhourbody.com/transcend
http://knol.google.com/k/ron-mignery/protein-cycling-diet/2s3nmvrwklbxs/1#
http://www.mfoundation.org
http://www.imminst.org
http://www.fourhourbody.com/snowball

Closing Thoughts
Closing Thoughts: The Trojan Horse

Appendices and Extras
Helpful Measurements and Conversions
Getting Tested-From Nutrients to Muscle Fibers
-Page 480
http://www.fourhourbody.com/bodpod
http://www.zrtlab.com/vitamindcouncil
http://www.23andme.com
http://www.navigenics.com
http://www.fourhourbody.com/spectracell
http://www.fourhourbody.com/biophysical

Muscles of the Body
The Value of Self-Experimentation
-Page 490
http://www.fourhourbody.com/new-ideas
http://www.quantifiedself.com
http://www.fourhourbody.com/self-experiment
http://www.curetogether.com
http://www.daytum.com
http://apps.pachube.com/datalogger

Spotting Bad Science 101: How Not to Trick Yourself
-Page 500
http://www.fourhourbody.com/blackswan
http://www.fourhourbody.com/corporation
http://www.fourhourbody.com/biases

Spotting Bad Science 102: So You Have a Pill . . .
The Slow-Carb Diet-194 People
Sex Machine II: Details and Dangers
The Meatless Machine I: Reasons to Try a Plant-Based Diet for Two Weeks
The Meatless Machine II: A 28-Day Experiment
-Page 549
http://www.goodguide.com
http://www.fourhourbody.com/vegan-athletes
http://www.fourhourbody.com/cowboy
http://www.fourhourbody.com/myth
http://www.beyondveg.com

Bonus Material (with additional info at Ferriss’s site)
Spot Reduction Revisited: Removing Stubborn Thigh Fat
Becoming Brad Pitt: Uses and Abuses of DNA
The China Study: A Well-Intentioned Critique
Heavy Metal: Your Personal Toxin Map
The Top 10 Reasons Why BMI Is Bogus
Hyperclocking and Related Mischief: How to Increase Strength 10% in One Workout
Creativity on Demand: The Promises and Dangers of Smart Drugs
An Alternative to Dieting: The Bodyfat Set Point and Tricking the Hypothalamus

]]> http://www.theportermethod.com/blog/2011/01/17/the-4-hour-body-book-links/feed/ 1 New Year’s Fitness Resolutions http://www.theportermethod.com/blog/2011/01/08/new-years-fitness-resolutions/ http://www.theportermethod.com/blog/2011/01/08/new-years-fitness-resolutions/#comments Sat, 08 Jan 2011 21:37:36 +0000 Doug Porter http://www.theportermethod.com/blog/?p=506 Continue reading →]]> This is the time of year when everyone seems to fixate on one single New Year’s resolution. That is to get in shape and lose weight. For the next two months the gym parking lot will be packed full of people pursuing this goal. Unfortunately after February, the parking lot will go back to the usual 1/4 full. Now I think the beginning of a new year is as good a time as any to decide to make a change in your life. The problem is people’s enthusiasm begins to wane when they don’t see the results they are expecting. I am pretty convinced that this is mainly because of 1) them acting on bad information on how to achieve their goal and 2) unreasonable expectations.

First, I want to include a youtube video of John Stone and the transformation he made back in 2003 going from 215 lbs at 30% body fat to 160 lbs at 8% body fat in 5 months time. He took daily pictures during that time, and it is pretty incredible to watch (link for rss readers)

Now that you have watched that video and see what is possible, I want to repost this great information from Mark Young and his post How not to F up your weight loss resolution.

1) Be reasonable about what you can accomplish in 1 year’s time.

As long as you are getting closer to your goal, you are making progress, but 100 lbs in 1 month is not reasonable. 0.5-1 pound per week is much more reasonable and sustainable.

2) Don’t overestimate the power of exercise.

And this is the key to fitness goals that just doesn’t seem to make it onto the late night infomercials. Diet and nutrition is at least 90% of weight loss. In fact many studies have shown many people that start exercising end up eating more because they feel hungrier. While having more muscle and cardiovascular health is not a bad thing, unless you have a caloric deficit you will not lose weight. So don’t worry too much about the exercise aspect, just get your diet down for 6 months and see how things go.

To that end, I highly recommend reading the nutrition posts in this Beginner’s Sticky Post on John Stone’s forums.

Good luck reaching your goals. Make 2011 your year.

]]> http://www.theportermethod.com/blog/2011/01/08/new-years-fitness-resolutions/feed/ 1 Homemade Bagels http://www.theportermethod.com/blog/2010/08/30/homemade-bagels/ http://www.theportermethod.com/blog/2010/08/30/homemade-bagels/#comments Mon, 30 Aug 2010 11:00:31 +0000 Doug Porter http://www.theportermethod.com/blog/?p=500 Continue reading →]]> I am a huge fan of King Arthur Flour and their products and recipes. After looking through their recipes looking for some kind of bread to make that didn’t require many ingredients, I decided to attempt homemade bagels for the first time.

Their site had two simple bagel recipes, but one required an overnight starter (I’m not opposed to making a starter, but I wanted to be able to have them for breakfast the next morning). I decided on the simple recipe listed here: Simple Bagel Recipe

The recipe requires making a dough (I used my bread machine dough setting), resting the dough, shaping the bagels and boiling them, and then a final baking.

The full recipe and ingredients are on the KAF site, but a short version is listed here:

Dough

  • 1 tablespoon instant yeast
  • 4 cups (17 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon non-diastatic malt powder, brown sugar or barley malt syrup (I only had brown sugar, so that is what I added)
  • 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) lukewarm water

Water Bath

  • 2 quarts (64 ounces) water
  • 2 tablespoons non-diastatic malt powder, brown sugar or barley malt syrup
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

I added all of the ingredients to the bread machine and let it do its thing. I weighed the resulting dough and tried to split it into eight equal-weighted pieces (though I ended up with nine).

After letting the dough rest for 30 minutes, I poked holes in them and shaped them into the standard bagel shape and added them to the boiling water for 3 minutes (2 minutes on one side, 1 minute on the other).

After removing them from their refreshing, warm bath, I placed them on baking sheets in preparation for the oven.

They were baked in the oven at 425 degrees for 25 minutes flipping them once during the baking (the wet bagel dough from the bath makes the oven shoot out a nice bit of steam when you open the door, be careful when flipping them).

After removing the finished product and letting them cool, we finally got to taste them.

They tasted great and even received the Casey seal of approval so this recipe is a keeper. This recipe was incredibly easy to make so I highly recommend giving it a try even if your baking skills are somewhat limited. You will be very pleased with the results.

]]> http://www.theportermethod.com/blog/2010/08/30/homemade-bagels/feed/ 1 Hearty Vegetable Soup http://www.theportermethod.com/blog/2010/08/02/hearty-vegetable-soup/ http://www.theportermethod.com/blog/2010/08/02/hearty-vegetable-soup/#comments Mon, 02 Aug 2010 11:00:09 +0000 Doug Porter http://www.theportermethod.com/blog/?p=494 Continue reading →]]> Being 95 degrees outside in Alabama, I was trying to think up something to cook for the wife. The heat must have gotten the better of me because I decided hot soup would be perfect. I went scouring the internet for recipes and finally came upon a recipe by the great Alton Brown on the Food Network site here. I whipped it up (making a few adjustments based on comments on the site), and I must say it turned out fantastic (be even better if the mercury was at least below 60 degrees Fahrenheit).

Below is the final recipe that I used. This was my first experience with leeks, and I was pleased to find the following short video on how to clean and prepare leeks for cooking.

  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cups chopped leeks, white part only (from approximately 4 medium leeks)
  • 2 cups carrots, peeled and chopped into rounds (approximately 4 medium)
  • 2 cups peeled and diced potatoes (approximately 2 potatoes)
  • 2 cups fresh snap beans (or green beans), broken or cut into 3/4-inch pieces
  • 2 cups yellow zucchini (2 medium zucchini)
  • 2 cans fire roasted diced tomatoes
  • 2 cans whole kernel corn, drained
  • 1 can northern beans (washed and drained)
  • 6 cups chicken broth (would have used 8 cups but ran out of space in my pot)
  • 2 tablespoons finely minced garlic
  • Kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup packed, chopped fresh parsley leaves
  • ~1 lemon of freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions

  1. Heat the olive oil in large, heavy-bottomed stockpot over medium-low heat.
  2. Once hot, add the leeks, garlic, and a pinch of salt and sweat until they begin to soften, approximately 7 to 8 minutes.
  3. Add the carrots, potatoes, and snap beans and continue to cook for 4 to 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Add the chicken broth, increase the heat to high, and bring to a simmer.
  5. Once simmering, add the tomatoes, corn, zucchini, northern beans, and pepper.
  6. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the vegetables are fork tender, approximately 35 to 40 minutes (the snap beans took quite a while to soften up).
  7. Remove from heat and if desired to thicken the soup up, use a stick blender to puree a small portion of the soup
  8. Add the parsley and lemon juice and season to taste with kosher salt
  9. Serve immediately.

The simmering soup prior to being stick blended looked like this:

What a tasty soup recipe. WAF was high, so this soup will be added to my basket of recipes.

]]> http://www.theportermethod.com/blog/2010/08/02/hearty-vegetable-soup/feed/ 0 Interesting Blogs I Follow http://www.theportermethod.com/blog/2010/06/21/interesting-blogs-i-follow/ http://www.theportermethod.com/blog/2010/06/21/interesting-blogs-i-follow/#comments Mon, 21 Jun 2010 11:00:00 +0000 Doug Porter http://www.theportermethod.com/blog/?p=464 Continue reading →]]> Wanted to highlight a couple of blogs that I follow and find interesting. They focus on pretty specific areas and may not be very useful to most.

In The Pipeline – Chemistry related: This blog written by Dr. Derek Lowe focuses on Chemistry (and more specifically biochemistry drug related) research. Being a former Chemistry major and eventual Chemistry minor, I find Dr. Lowe’s writing very entertaining. I first found his site when someone posted a link to his series of posts about Things I Won’t Work With which have some fantastic gems about some incredibly volatile compounds he refuses to work with.

I Will Teach You To Be Rich – Personal Finance: Ramit Sethi is a Stanford educated entrepreneur that writes some very useful pieces in the realm of finance.

Bruce Schneier – Computer Security: Bruce Schneier is the defacto guru in the computer security space. He writes some very poignant pieces on security in the computer world as well as how those same principles apply to the real world.

Tim Ferris – 4 hour workweek – Lifestyle Design: I was very skeptical of Tim’s book but it was an enjoyable read with some really good information. His blog is also very entertaining and worth following.

Hacking Netflix – Netflix Movies: An interesting blog that keeps up with what is going on with the company Netflix and the movie rental market.

Blackbag, Barry’s weblog – Lockpicking and security: A very eclectic site that I found via Bruce Schneier that talks about physical security measures and countermeasures.

The Tom Kyte Blog – Oracle database: Tom Kyte is a well known guru in the Oracle world. His site Ask Tom is the place to go when looking for answers dealing with Oracle. His books are also incredible.

Travelzoo Top 20 – Travel: This site compiles a list of weekly travel deals (vacation packages, cruises, flights, hotel deals, etc).

I’m always looking for other sites with interesting content, if you have some favorites, please post them in the comments.

]]> http://www.theportermethod.com/blog/2010/06/21/interesting-blogs-i-follow/feed/ 0 2007 Toyota Camry In-Dash Navigation Unit Repair http://www.theportermethod.com/blog/2010/06/14/2007-toyota-camry-in-dash-navigation-unit-repair/ http://www.theportermethod.com/blog/2010/06/14/2007-toyota-camry-in-dash-navigation-unit-repair/#comments Mon, 14 Jun 2010 11:00:18 +0000 Doug Porter http://www.theportermethod.com/blog/?p=455 Continue reading →]]> Casey bought a 2007 Toyota Camry 3 years ago from the dealership. At the time she added the GPS navigation package which included an upgraded stereo, satellite radio, and GPS touchscreen navigation. This upgrade was not cheap by any means, adding $2,000 to the price of the vehicle. Now this unit made by Denso is very nice. The touchscreen works great and the built-in navigation is extremely convenient to always have in the car (versus putting up and taking down a hand-held GPS each time you get into the car).

Unfortunately a mere months after the 3 year warranty expired on the car, the touchscreen display went out. All the functionality appeared to work, but the display was so dim that you could only tell it was on by shining a flashlight at it. So to the dealer it went for a repair estimate. The Toyota dealer decided that it could not be repaired and should be replaced. Cost to replace a radio unit that cost $2,000 3 years ago…..$3,000 dollars. So apparently in 3 years, the price of this technology went up 50%. The dealer was supposed to charge labor for looking at it but the rep was so shocked himself by the price that he waived the fee. Pretty bad when their own service reps can’t believe the costs of their own parts.

As Philip Greenspun has lamented multiple times (here, here, and here), this is a good reason the car manufacturers deserve to go under: selling a $200 device for $2,000, not to mention the outrageous cost of navigation updates (~$350). It was extremely depressing to hear that this was the recommended outcome from the dealership on a device they sell. I could not stomach this recommendation since it seemed that everything worked on the device except for the display. Pity to toss all those fancy electronics because of a failing LCD screen. After copious searching on the internet for others with similar problems and suggestions for repair, I came across a recommendation on a Toyota Tundra forum for a company out of California that repairs these units.

The company is Hi-Tech Electronic Services out of Van Nuys, CA. I contacted them via e-mail and described the problem. They said they could fix it and would give a free official estimate once they received the unit (though the gave me a rough estimate via e-mail). I found some instructions online about removing the radio (one of the easiest cars I’ve ever seen for removing a radio I must add), and $30 of UPS shipping later they had it at their shop.

They examined the unit, repaired the 3 parts that had gone bad, and shipped it back all within a week for $585 total including return shipping. So a new replacement unit is $3,000 from Toyota, repair of existing unit, $585. A much, much better deal. They only offer a 90 day warranty on their repairs, but I suppose that is to be expected with electronic repairs in general. Overall a wonderful experience. I reinstalled the unit into the car and it has been working great ever since.

I highly recommend checking this company out if you have any kind of in-dash navigation unit that needs repair. And when buying a new car, I highly recommend you do not purchase the in-dash navigation unit. It is convenient, but the cost is way too high considering the advances in technology and that the dealers do not stand behind their product enough to warrant that risk/reward.

]]> http://www.theportermethod.com/blog/2010/06/14/2007-toyota-camry-in-dash-navigation-unit-repair/feed/ 7 Enterprise Service Bus by David Chappel Book Review http://www.theportermethod.com/blog/2010/03/29/enterprise-service-bus-by-david-chappel-book-review/ http://www.theportermethod.com/blog/2010/03/29/enterprise-service-bus-by-david-chappel-book-review/#comments Mon, 29 Mar 2010 11:00:48 +0000 Doug Porter http://www.theportermethod.com/blog/?p=449 Continue reading →]]> This past week I finished Enterprise Service Bus by David Chappell.


ESB by David Chappell


First I must mention that I read the book via O’Reilly’s fantastic Safari online book service that I have access to for being a Professional member of the ACM (only $99/year). I can’t recommend this service enough. The selection of books is amazing and to be able to add a book and begin reading immediately gives you great ability to get knowledge if the mood strikes.

David Chappell is a vice president and chief technologist for SOA at Oracle Corporation. Though this book was written back in 2004 it is still quite relevant today. It provides a very good introduction to service oriented architectures. I first heard about the Enterprise Service Bus back when I attended JavaOne back in 2005. At that point it didn’t seem like the idea was fleshed out all the way based on the presentations I heard (though this book disproves that since it was written prior). I just couldn’t wrap my head around how something like this would fit in my company’s current tech model.

Many years of learning and experience later, reading this book gave me a new perspective on this model and how it could integrate into our environment. One of the best things about this book is that it approaches this integration in a realistic manner. It doesn’t recommend ripping out your complete architecture (like most pay by the hour consulting shops come in and recommend). It proposes adding these concepts in at the edge of your operation. The first steps actually involve adding them in so transparently that the applications that begin conversing across the ESB don’t actually know anything has changed.

Then as time allows and as experience with this style of architecture grows, you can kudzu the bus across the organization. Many of the scenarios and specific patterns that Chappell demonstrates and models are exact copies of problems that I’m encountering first hand at work. Reading this book has caused me to start looking at all of our applications with an eye towards how I can apply SOA principles as we make changes to existing code.

The book was a very quick read and the writing style and diagrams helped me get through the book with ease. I highly recommend reading it if you are looking for a great introduction into the Enterprise Service Bus concept.

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