Yes, it’s true. Research I have just completed, drawn from personal memory and thousands of kilobytes of information gleamed from online sources, finds a direct link between being born and dying. Fully one hundred percent of individuals alive today will die at some point in their lives (+/- a statistical variance of 1%). Hard to believe but true. Now that you’re armed with this knowledge, please take the necessary precautions.
In other bullshit health-related news, I came across this article today: Taking omega-3 fish oil supplements may increase the risk of aggressive prostate cancer by 70% | Mail Online
Yes, fish oil is apparently bad for you, so go ahead and add fish to the list of foods you should avoid – alongside ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING ELSE. So, you’ve been warned: Whatever you do, DO NOT EAT. It’s the fastest way to an early grave.
According to findings in “a” (singular) study by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre in Seattle, [individuals with]: “…the highest levels of omega-3 in their blood were 71 per cent more likely to develop fast-growing, hard-to-treat prostate tumours. They were also more likely to contract the slower, less deadly form of the disease, with the overall prostate cancer risk raised by 43 per cent.”
This is terrible news, especially for Japanese men, one of the world’s biggest consumers of fish (oily and otherwise) who, curiously, also have one of the lowest rates of prostate cancer in the developed worldwide (http://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2007/).
But how could this be? On the one hand, you have this “one” (singular) surprising new study telling us fish oil MAY be bad for us while, on the other, you have the contradictory FACT that an entire nation of Japanese men who consume A LOT MORE fish oil than the global average actually suffer A LOT LESS prostate cancer. Hmmm. Who to believe? Who to believe?
P.S.: This study on the dangers of fish oil and natural supplements brought to you by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle which happens to be funded by big pharmaceutical companies who, it goes without saying, always have their your best interests at heart.
Someone else calls bullshit on these findings: http://drgeo.com/something-is-fishy-about-omega-3s-causing-aggressive-prostate-cancer
In other news:
Here’s another interesting study that suggests “upper-class individuals behave more unethically than lower-class individuals”: Rich people are dicks and here’s the proof! dangerousminds.net Not all rich people, of course, just most of ‘em. Via PBS Newshour: In a series of startling studies, psychologists at the University of California at Berkeley have found that “upper-class individuals behave more unethically than lower-class individuals.” Ongoing research is trying to find out wha… I believe we already discussed one of the potential reasons here: http://josephmallozzi.com/2012/11/30/november-30-2012-on-parental-responsibility-and-time-travel-ii/
Hey, speaking of potential psychopaths – Michael Vick was in the news the other day. Sort of. An open letter to Vick from the person who adopted one of his fighting dogs: Dear Michael Vick: Your Champion Is Deadredleafentmedia.wordpress.comDear Michael Vick: Your Champion is Dead,Mike, just thought you’d like to know that on June 19th of this year, your Grand Champion Fighting Dog, Lucas, finally succumbed to the disease he was infec…
And there’s wonderful news that Vick’s football career may soon follow suit: The Eagles May Cut Michael Vick Altogether If (When?) Nick Foles …
Damn. If only I’d come across this article had come out a little earlier. Now THIS would have been the perfect gift for birthday boy and foodie Martin Gero: $275,000 Buys a Trip to Every Three-Star Michelin Restaurant in the World. Ah, well. There’s always next year I suppose.
In sort-of food-related news, check out how “classy” Charles Saatchi informed wife, Nigella Lawson, that he’s divorcing her: Nigella Lawson’s Husband Divorces Her in a Newspaper
If superhero movies have taught us anything it’s that common folk are helpless and incompetent – in addition to other valuable lessons…The 5 Ugly Lessons Hiding in Every Superhero Movie
Today’s blog entry is dedicated to birthday gal Janet!
@Joe
I liked NBC’s fish oil summation-eating fatty fish in your regular diet is the best way to get the benefits vs. mega dose pills. NBC Dr. Synderman commented a few weeks back that vitamins and supplements major benefit was in higher quality urine. I thought that was pretty cool info, and common senseical too.
I was always amazed at some Japanese men’s ability to smoke like chimneys and live long lives.
Maybe karma is the answer? The old story, Frank smoked for twenty years and quit. Two weeks later he got ran over by a tobacco truck.
@Janet Happy Birthday!
Cheers!
Well, Joe, I guess I owe you my life. Or some of it anyway. I wrote you a couple of years ago when I had my dog Rhet euthanized and was vacillating on whether or not to get another dog. Your reply and kind words were a major factor in my decision to adopt a new friend. I got Samantha (named after a certain TV character) two years ago last month from the Humane Society and I’m happy I did for so many reasons. Two days ago I was napping when Sam began barking like crazy (a little out of character for her). I woke up to find a smoldering fire in the dryer vent. It may have amounted to nothing and I might have realized it own my own but I have to credit Sam with saving my bacon. And so, indirectly, I have to give some of the credit to you. So, if you ever need anything, say a kidney, let me know and I’ll find one for you. Thanks. And I mean that. Sam thanks you, too. Tell your readers that don’t have dogs and can properly support the needs of a canine friend to get one. They’re life savers in more ways than one.
Hey Tim,
Great story and, as much as I would like to take even some of the credit, it all goes to Sam.
Your kind offer is greatly appreciated, but I’m not a huge kidney guy. I might, however, take you up on a liver (sauteed with caramelized onions) under the right circumstances.
Happy Birthday Janet, hope it was a good one 🙂
Speaking of death, it’s the last thing I think about during my day to day life, mostly because it’s how you live your life, who you live it with, what you make of it and how you treat other people that defines you.
When I’m eventually old and grey, with those most important around me, in my final few moments, as long as I’ve lived a good life, I’d have no regrets. I think as long as you’ve achieved everything you’ve wanted to achieve in life, that’s simply enough.
Certainly I don’t think we’ll see anything that can artificially lengthen the life of an average person, or even extend indefinite in the next 100 years. I can’t see people doing a Ghost in the Shell(Anime..) with cyber brains in android esq bodies.
Anyway I would like to see someone cure cancer conclusively in the near future, to stop people losing loved ones to it. Families get broken up because of it, mothers lose children, children lose mothers, lose fathers, it’s all so sad, and something that really should be stopped.
I’m pretty sure, even if I forget to break open the fish oil capsules on occasion to check for rancidity, it will not increase my chance of prostate cancer above 0%. Seriously, stay away from rancid oils, that stuff can cause cancer.
The article says it’s the amount of Omega-3’s in their blood that’s associated with increased risk. An intake study might be more credible. There could be reasons it’s not being eliminated as quickly, like if all that prostate cancer is making them crazy enough to inject fish oil.
” I might, however, take you up on a liver (sauteed with caramelized onions) under the right circumstances.”
I hear a nice chianti goes well with that.
Anyway, yeah – statistics are finicky. To have any weight of course, the results of this study would have to be duplicated a number of times. It also conceivably shows the problems in properly designing a long term survey. Also, I will say the media tends to jump on survey results when they are sensational or controversial, often to the dismay of those doing the study. They engage in all sorts of conjecture when often nothing of the sort is coming from the data.
Not much more to be said about Vick that hasn’t already, but I’ll say it again anyway. Scumbag.
Off to New Hampshire tomorrow. Yet more mountains!
@ Tim Hendrix – Love your story and your dog.
@ Joe – Gross! You Hannibal Lecter. 😉
@gforce – My kid keeps asking me to take him to the mountains in New Hampshire so he can collect rocks. A widow recently gave him her late husband’s rock collection from his hikes in New Hampshire.
“upper-class individuals behave more unethically than lower-class individuals”:
no sh!t. some (not all) of them seem to think that money can buy anything or anyone.
$275,000 Buys a Trip to Every Three-Star Michelin Restaurant in the World.
now we know what to get you for your next birthday. 😉 i think if well all pitched in it’s doable.
Nigella Lawson’s Husband Divorces Her in a Newspaper
what an a-hole. she’s better off without him.
G’day
Thanks for all the lovely birthday greetings.
No big plans, but there was cake.
I got chocolate 😀
I’m just curious as to how someone divorces in a newspaper. I thought you had to go before a judge. Silly me! Must be different in Britain.
At my last job a bunch of guys in one of the offices kept a running tally of things that The Daily Mail claimed caused cancer. Not surprisingly (if you know The Daily Fail) they ended up with a long and often contradictory list of ludicrous cancer causes.
For an awesome infographic showing the latest information from various scientific studies check this out: http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/play/snake-oil-supplements/
According to that infographic Omega-3 is promising in cancer prevention but unlikely to help with anything else.
Hey Shane,
Thanks for the link. Very interesting. Bookmarked.
Yeah, Joe, I think I will have to work on getting worked up about my possibility of prostate cancer.
Not at all surprised about rich people being more unethical than the rest of us. That’s how they got rich in the first place, by stepping on others as they headed for the top. No worries though. They have less chance of getting into heaven than a camel jumping through the eye of a needle, or so I’m told.
If you have already bought that Michelin Restaurant gift certificate, my birthday is coming up on August 16th, hint hint…hint hint.
Oh, great news! It looks like I’ll be back in Vancouver at the end of the month. Can I buy you coffee so you can autograph all of my Dark Matter comics/graphic novels?
P
I’m not a coffee guy but I’d be more than happy to sign.
While I agree with you that no one should get too excited about any one study, some of what you wrote does not make much sense. Assuming that big pharma does fund the cancer research center, what does big pharma gain from this study? From what I have read big pharma and big supplement are the same companies, so discouraging supplements doesn’t seem in their best interest. On the other hand in rebuttal you cite “Dr. Geo” a naturopath/accupuncturist who sells his own prostate supplement. Even if you do not share my view that his profession is based on nonsense, his self interest seems clear.
@DP – go to NH! It’s beautiful. I’ve been going there since I was about 2 yo, when my parents would always take us there on Summer vacation.
@Janet – happy birthday!!
1. @ Tim Hendrix – What an great story and what an awesome dog! Give Sam hugs and kisses for me! And thanks so much for sharing!
2. Dammit – I missed it!! Satellite is still out and it seems that I missed, not only a good rugby match, but a great SyFy flick last night as well – Sharknado. http://popwatch.ew.com/2013/07/12/sharknado-syfy-react/?hpt=hp_t2
3. I’ve decided not to hate on Vick anymore. I can’t read the man’s heart, and so I have to take what I see on the surface. There’s another football player right now accused of killing a human being, and it may not be his first: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/search-warrants-in-aaron-hernandez-case-expected-to-be-released-co-defendant-back-in-court/2013/07/09/5fda4670-e860-11e2-818e-aa29e855f3ab_story.html
Vick did a very bad thing, but putting things into perspective, so did Hernandez…yet where is the outrage over his [alleged] crimes? I have a more visceral reaction to crimes against animals and that often makes me far more emotional over animal abuse than, sad to say – harm done to humans – but when I sit back and reason on the matter, reason on the extent of the crime and the attempt at redemption and such, I just can’t continue to treat Vick in my mind as a monster.
das
Oh, you’ve hit such a hot button of mine with the Mike Sick-Vick mention. Just makes me want to….oh, wait. This is your blog, not mine, so I probably shouldn’t rant.
Your mention of the opposite side of the coin just reminds me how cool you are are for being such a good dog daddy and openly loving your pets. 🙂
Yeah, I’ve pretty much given up on trying to avoid everything that potentially causes cancer. I’ve quit smoking. I eat red meat sparingly. And that’s it. I’m drawing the line in the sand right there. What’s the point of living forever if you’re just going to be miserable?
I used to have a saying years ago: “Eat right, exercise, still die.” And oddly enough, it’s still true.
“F” Michael Vick sideways with a giant pineapple on fire. He has ruined my love-hate relationship with the Eagles. (Growing up in this area, you can’t actually only “love” the Eagles. It’s been scientifically proven.) I haven’t been to a game or a tailgate since they signed him. And I won’t until he’s gone. Preferably via a horribly painful and disfiguring injury.
You’ve got to wonder why Nigella’s husband is so concerned with spin control. He’s not even a public figure. She’s better off without him. And the public strangles.
Tim: Great story!
Wow! Great story Tim Hendrix! BIG THANKS for adopting from the humane society. It sounds like you saved each other. With the economy being sluggish, a lot of dogs/cats are getting left at the h.s. . Rescue shelters are being overrun. They have mixed and pure breeds. Also, if anyone has extra time through the week, think about volunteering at a shelter. Even walking the dogs is a big help!
My jaw dropped after the new fish oil study. I’m not too concerned for me (since I don’t have a prostate) but I’ve been giving fish oil to my 17 yr old son. That study is hard to believe. I’ll wait until they have a few more studies.
As for Vick, I’m not sure about him. I’ve known a few dog fighters here in the South. It’s a way of life for them. They grow up not realizing something is wrong with that behavior. It’s like racism, you learn it from birth and it gets reinforced by your environment. BUT people can grow, mature and learn to respect others. “I” wouldn’t let Vick have another pet again but let him work off his debt to his animal victims. Have him volunteer, raise money and educate others in his community about animal welfare. If he has learned anything positive, he could be a mentor for other young jocks. I don’t see the point of running him out of town. He’s has to work to contribute.
As for Nigella Lawson future ex-husband, let him be some other woman’s problem. Didn’t he try to strangle her? He’s an all-around “class act”. 🙄 She should enroll in karate and be more selective in husbands.
@JimFromJersey: “F” Michael Vick sideways with a giant pineapple on fire.” Oh hell, yeah. Let G-d forgive this guy, I don’t have to.
@Tam Dixon: Oh please, these people so do know their behavior is wrong! At the very least, they know it’s illegal. I can’t buy that they’re a bunch of innocents fighting dogs. I do agree that he should never have another dog and that he should contribute to animal welfare, but otherwise, the giant pineapple on fire for him suits me just fine. 🙂
@Tim Hendrix: I’d say a juicy steak is in order for Sam tonight. 🙂 Good girl!
@Das: I think Vick’s “attempt at redemption” is just for show. If he had the chance to do it again and not get caught, whatchawannabet he would? Please. People like him don’t change, they bullshit. If you think of how many criminals are let out of prison just to commit the same crime(s) that put them there in the first place, you do have to wonder about “rehabilitation”.
I’m a bragging Grandma, but check this guy out at 6 months. 🙂
http://i656.photobucket.com/albums/uu284/pbugsmom/MichaelNYCtrip2_zpsc4e3c889.jpg
@ Tam Dixon – The grandbaby is adorable! And we’ll just have to agree to disagree on the Vick thing. 😉
@ Joey – Don’t get me started on the ‘medical reports’ thing. Eggs were bad for you, then they weren’t bad for you, and now they might be bad for you again. I often wonder who is behind these studies, besides morons. In the end we’re all gonna die – of something. There is no stopping it, and some of the healthiest folks die young, while some of those who have abused their bodies the most are still plugging along.*
*See Keith Richards.
I will say this one thing about supplements, however. I have long believed that nutrition is best received through the actual food, and not through the supplements. I think there are enzymes and other elements in the food that help us absorb the right stuff, and not too much of it. Overdosing on anything, even vitamins, is never a good thing.
One bright spot in my already craptastic day (seems I need to cut back a tree in order to get a satellite signal again…which won’t happen until next Thursday, at the earliest), Pearl Jam is releasing a new album! Woo!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhODYyZVL6Y
That’s for the one other PJ fan here besides me. 🙂
das
Deni: Yup, these guys know the law but I bet most of his friends (can’t think how to describe them: bums, dicks, rednecks?) wouldn’t agree Vick did anything wrong. His childhood buds probably think it’s “all bout nutti”. Yes, his rehab could all be about show BUT I say use him. Most of the ball players age out fast.
How is the staycation going? Missing that cute baby yet?
@Tam: Seems you have a grandson now! Congrats! (See Das) Bwaahaaaaaa.
Redneck dicks is a good description, and while I agree that the pack mentality is in full force there, you’d think at least these RDs would have some sort of a conscience.
Staycation has been busy cleaning! Almost done (with the housekeeper’s “help”, oy) and after that, it’s smooooooth sailing. 😉 Missing Anakin/not missing Anakin, the peace and quiet (ok, that’s relative with Cody and Riley) is delicious! I plan to nap until Monday. 😉
@Das: I’ll assume you meant me and not Tammy, so thanks! He really is a cutie! And no, I’m right and you’re wrong. 😉
Das: Grandbaby? What do you know that I don’t? 😯 😆
Joe, I wish all us commentors could pitch in and buy you that $275,000 trip to every Three-Star Michelin Restaurant in the world for your birthday. Say we could get 200 people to pitch in. That would be $1,375 each. Too much. If we got 400 people to pitch in that would be $687.50 each. Damn, that’s still too much. Can we scrap up 500 people. That would be $550.00 each. Joe, would you settle for a Two-Star Michelin Restaurant trip, not around the world, but concentrating in Canada or the US? Wonder how much that would cost? We might have to go for a trip around Vancouver. I’ll keep thinking of a way…
@ Deni – Cute! Cute! Cute!
@Ponytail:
Sounds like we need a Kickstart project to send Joe around the world; perhaps if he promised to write a book about the experience?
Yes, Deni…sorry, Tam. 😛 And I hadn’t even been drinking!! My fingers were just confuzzled. 😛
das
@ JeffW – I’m in! And a book about the experience would be awesome!
Speaking of prostate cancer… here is some good news. http://healthydietsandscience.blogspot.ca/2013/07/high-saturated-fat-and-meat-consumption.html
I just read a rather old Q & A with you o savecarsonbeckett.comm in wich you said “If I told you now, you wouldn’t buy the tell-all book I’m going to write when (if) Stargate ends”
(Link: http://www.savecarsonbeckett.com/2007/04/09/exclusive-carson-to-resurface-on-atlantis/)
Well, it’s been two years now since Stargate ended…so how’s the writing going? 😉
/Clara
@Tim I am so glad that Sam saved your life and that you are all safe. What a great story that had a happy ending.
Do you guys know how many studies have come out on the causes of autism? Even TV causes autism apparently. Ridiculous.