Sirona
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Posts posted by Sirona
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Sirona
For the hills you need the gears - although the range of a double at the front is the same as a triple (just larger steps on the double) and doubles are easier to look after and fewer things to go wrong. That bike looks good for the money. But two important things - always but always try a bike before you part with any cash, and ensure that you have a good and easy route to return the bike if something is not right. This often militates against buying a bike over the internet. It is these services which bike shops have to put into their cost - which is why some of the web-shops are so much cheaper. The best of both worlds is a shop with a good high street presence but who sells and thus competes with other web-outlets.
Men's and women's saddles are quite different - but most good ones for either sex do have a groove. This is much more important for men than women apparently - but it could just be that research has been done on men's discomfort and none on women's (see mad thread above regarding no need for feminism
) It is important to try saddles out as well - you need the support under the pelvic bones commonly referred to as the sit bones but you don't want support inside this; so you should really buy a saddle of the correct width.If you are getting soreness or joint ache - then getting your bike fitted to your size is crucial. The companies that do this are amazing - but quite pricey - there are do it yourself versions on the web that are a reasonable alternative.
I was tempted to buy a new bike online but due to my height (5'2") I really do need to test that the frame is right for me. I think it's difficult to find the bike with the right geometry though when you only take it for a test ride around the block. Some stores allow you to exchange within a two week time frame if you're unhappy which is convenient. I start to experience serious discomfort due to pressure on my perineum after about 2-3 hours of riding. Do you know if the saddle is more likely to be the cause, or the frame? Although I do cycle a lot, I don't consider myself an enthusiast and therefore don't know much about it, so I do appreciate the advice!
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I wouldn't say he's particularly young. Michael Moore is very overweight and this could have been a factor. Some studies have shown that having type 2 diabetes will increase your chances of being hospitalised with pneumonia between 25-75% 'possibly because of the harmful effects of hyperglycaemia on the immune system, increased risk of aspiration due to diabetic gastroparesis, and impaired lung function," explain Dr Jette B. Kornum and colleagues of the Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark.' http://www.ersnet.org/component/flexicontent/items/item/4223-beware-those-extra-pounds-obesity-in-men-raises-risk-of-being-hospitalised-with-pneumonia.html
I don't know if Moore has any obesity related diseases such as type 2 diabetes, however, this could be one of the possible contributing factors.
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Could join a board game group if there's any around, then you get the social aspect too
I'm not good at commitment and wouldn't be available for regular meet ups. I like the flexibility of playing online too.
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As always, Ten Oz, you have excellent points. Although machines have been taking over jobs for a few centuries, it does have a short/medium term impact on many people and their quality of life and I was just pointing out that the middle class is growing more rapidly currently in emerging markets. Unskilled/semi-skilled jobs such as that of a truck driver, bus driver and taxi driver for example are jobs that pay relatively well and require little skill and easy to find. However with companies like Uber and Google working towards developing self-driving vehicles for example, a lot of jobs are going to be lost. Although it's true that people have always needed to adapt to changing technologies and generally the changes have been good for society, it does cause a shift in culture and class. In the long term people learn to appreciate that technology has reduced the need for labour intensive work, made things more efficient and improved the quality of life in terms of health and safety too. Self driving vehicles for example are projected to save many lives in the future and road accidents make up the large cause of (in most cases) preventable death. However, we can't discount the amount of jobs that will be lost and the families that will suffer as a result.
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Do you mean that people find it difficult to change their accustomed behaviour? I feel this could have potential for a good discussion but I don't know where to begin as you've just presented us with a statement. It would be useful to phrase it into a specific question so we can address it accordingly.
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I agree with you completely that education is the key and like almost everything I've learned, I draw from my personal experience. Being a first generation Australian I can say attitude is largely cultural and stems from understanding, knowledge and experience. I was raised in a very conservative family with culturally Islamic views on my fathers side (I say culturally because Islam had very little influence on our lives except when it came to the position of women and eating pork; alcohol, male promiscuity, violence and doubt in God was perfectly acceptable). I am eternally thankful for my secular state education and although I can't say I learned a great deal academically, I learned how to be a good citizen; to not marginalise women and minorities, embrace multiculturalism, hate is born from fear, the need to control is born from insecurity. Some might say I was indoctrinated by leftists but I believe it has made me a better person. I may be wrong. This is my belief.Extreme views need tempering. Many people who hold them do so because of misinformation, rather than any outright hatred. For them, education is the key, imo. And an earful from grandma or another respected source goes a long way to help correct the problem.
I've said before many times, I am a technology native and grew up online. Over the years I've participated in many forum discussions and these conversations were no less important in shaping my views and perspective. When you're posting online you should be mindful that you have the power to influence, cause change, inflict harm, educate and inform. I have a great deal of love and respect for those that have made it their goal to inform the misinformed with well thought out, well researched and evidence based knowledge.
I've not been here a long time, but there are a lot of excellent role models here (I'm not just speaking of moderators either) who I respect immensely and what makes it such a nice place to be is the diversity and opportunity to learn and educate, but something more too, there is an opportunity to inspire and cause change. Use your time online for good.
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Middle Class is where people will most likely find happiness, and is something I have come to believe.
I tend to agree with you, Zapatos. However, the problem in the west is that technology and globalisation are eliminating a lot of jobs, particularly for unskilled and semi-skilled workers, so that the middle class are declining. However, in countries like China and other emerging markets the middle-class population is increasing rapidly.
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Personally I think it is a shame that the Guardian blur out the names of those issuing threats - it is peer group judgment that helps us weigh our actions and publicly enforced anonymity stops the feedback which allows people to realise that their views are far from universal and are deeply disapproved of by friends and family. I always want to be sure that these young men (and they are almost all youngish men) are confronted by their Mums, Sisters, Aunts, and Grannies with a "we need to talk about what you said..."
I found this interesting article:
It's saying that men who have sisters tend to be more conservative. I'm not certain of it's validity, however, it's an interesting read. According to the article, men who have sisters do less housework and grow to associate housework with 'woman's work' and have a more traditional view of gender roles.
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There's not a lot I can say here that smarter people than me haven't already said more eloquently. Instead, I would encourage the OP to read this article, about an event at my university that recent made headlines. http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/apr/06/the-feminist-cupcake-sale-that-led-us-into-the-darkest-depths-of-gender-inequality
I don't have the words to express my sadness after reading that, Hypervalent. I often feel betrayed by my own silence because I can't count the times I've been bullied by men into silence online and offline; I say it with shame that I've learned to ignore it and not retaliate. The worst part about it is, if you work in a male dominated industry it could be detrimental to your career to speak up against the sexism. I've read this thread several times today before posting because I know the emotional turmoil it's going to bring.
I feel guilt that I don't have the emotional strength to speak up in the workplace or online. There is that aspect of futility when you're out numbered.
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I mostly play board games online in the evenings to relax and distress because I don't enjoy TV and I'm often not quite relaxed enough after work to read. I think strategy board games have improved my problem solving ability, however, I think it's contributed to me being anti-social. Though, it's hard to determine cause and effect; perhaps I like problem solving games because I am anti-social.I like to play board games with my nieces and nephews. They have to learn and follow rules, read and often orate various things, perform simple numeric tasks and plan future events. I've not seen any research specifically looking at boardgames but it must be doing them some good.
Puerto Rica is one of my favourite games.
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We also have a Medicare levy which is taxed at 2.0%. There are exemptions and reductions depending on whether your taxable income is equal to or less than the lower threshold. They also assess spouses income if you're married or defacto and any dependants. So if you're partnered then they assess your combined income.There are also unavoidable federal taxes on payroll, for social security (OASDI, 6.2%*) and medicare (1.45%*). They tend to be ignored in the "these people pay no taxes" rants, but it's terribly regressive. Also a reason why cash under the table is popular for some arrangements.
*matched by your employer. If you're self-employed, you pay more, but also have a few more deductions
If you have private health care then you're exempt from the additional surcharge and for high income earners this is a good option as it includes dental which is not covered by Medicare. This surcharge is aimed at reducing the demand for public healthcare.
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Interesting, how so? Also, for those who have interest, here's link a US Form 1040, which is the long form taxpayers file for return of excess taxes paid. It will give you some idea of what our government terms income, exemption, deduction, and credit. It is one of a multitude of forms and schedules our government produces for tax return and payment purposes.
So although the idea is the same, the rules are different. Although I am not an expert in US taxation (you guys are notorious for your complex system
) but with superannuation employers must make a compulsory (9.5%) contribution on top of your salary/wage. We have a marginal tax rate (https://www.ato.gov.au/Rates/Individual-income-tax-rates/) so basically the more you earn, the higher your tax bracket is. If you're a higher income earner (you earn over 37, 000), it makes sense to 'salary sacrifice' (pay money into your super before tax as you're taxed at a fixed rate of 15%). If you're under 50, your yearly contribution is capped at 30, 000 (before tax contribution) and 35, 000 for those over 50. If your contributions exceed this amount, then you're taxed at the highest income bracket which is 49%. However, your employer might restrict how much you salary sacrifice and income you've already earned can't be sacrificed. 0 -
If I understand tax equivalency between Australia and the US, Superannuation tax deduction is called an IRA (Individual Retirement Account or, by some, Arrangement) deduction.
The idea is the same, the implementation is different.
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You might find this study interesting then:
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0070350
I used to play RTS games (AoE, StarCraft) and FPS (Counter-Strike, Doom). These days I only have time for the occasional board game (Agricola, Stone Age, Puerto Rico, Castles of Burgundy), some poker and chess. I haven't played chess online in a while though.
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Superannuation tax deduction, negative gearing and capital gains tax.
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Come'on String - it is now time to show us your bike!
Nice Bike Sirona - that's a similar colour to what I was considering for the next iteration of my commuter (http://spray.bike/products/ - bomber)
I would have preferred mint green but they only had it in the vintage cruisers or fixie's. I would like to replace my seat as it's not very comfortable for long commutes. I'm considering using this one just to get to the beach and back. I often do long trips on the weekend and like to ride in the Blue Mountains and need the lower gears. I was thinking about this one:
It's got a much bigger range of gears and triple chain rings.
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http://www.pnas.org/content/107/38/16489.full
According to the study above, more money is not associated with more happiness however, less money is correlated with emotional pain. Who would have thought 'balance' was best?
I personally wouldn't want to be a struggling student again, worrying constantly about how I'm going to make ends meet week after week. Being a recent graduate I am not on a great income but it's comfortable and I am able to do the things I love. I care about money, but I am not materialistic by any means; I'm a minimalist and spend a small percentage of my income after expenses on consumables but instead on experiences. I believe it's people, shared experiences, hobbies and leisure which make us happy (not factoring in the genetics or health).I believe when some of you say you don't like money, you're really saying you're not materialistic.
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Here's my ride. It's a decent road bike and the lightest in the ladies vintage range at about 12.5kg. I can cover a decent distance (40-50km) but would prefer more gears. The basket adds extra weight but it's too pretty to ditch.
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'The Stuff of Thought' Stephen Pinker, because I just can't get enough.
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I really believe no matter how busy your schedule is you should make the time to acknowledge and interact with others. My morning routine might be running to work with a hastily thrown together breakfast because I wanted that extra thirty minutes of sleep, but I will stop to talk to my neighbours or building maintenance supervisors if I see them. I'll take the time to interact with the chatty barister even though I'm really not a morning person. I might get to work unprepared because I spent the evening procrastinating but I will still acknowledge my colleagues and make conversation.
I really dislike when people sacrifice their relationships with others because they're busy. I'd rather know I gave someone my time and made them feel valued and important, even at the risk of getting to work late, or being disorganised, missing something, having less free time, etc. I know personally, I get very upset when people are too busy to interact with me or push me aside so no matter what's on my schedule, I make sure I don't dismiss others.@MigL yes.
I'm building an atrium and will garden.
That's great, Ed.
I know I am a long way away yet, but I am really looking forward to retiring. I'm happiest when I'm bush-walking, kayaking, swimming in gorges, climbing rocks, sitting under a waterfall or just lying on the sand or a muddy bank reading.0 -
It may be cheap to produce but they certainly make a lot of profit selling it:
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Absolutely. They are constantly trying to link specific foods as having 'disease curing properties' or improving your immune system, clearing your skin, etc. However, the evidence is not conclusive like the correlation between smoking and cancer for example. That Australian trial from the University of Western Australia you've sourced was an extremely small as they only studied 146 people over a period of three months. It is also likely that the participants from the group taking the garlic knew as from the smell when burping. It says 'other biases were controlled' but how? Also, participants self recorded their episodes of the common cold and no physical examinations or other tests were taken.I am very, very disappointed to see a statement like this on a science forum, especially from one of the members who is clearly pretty bright.
It is bad enough when I hear morons and politicians on the radio saying things like, "The government has no right to tax cigarettes [sugar/alcohol/whatever], my grandfather smoked 300 a day for 130 years and was still running four marathons a day". Don't these people understand anything about the nature of evidence?
I really dislike poor quality trials like this one where the health supplement industry can get their hands on little evidence and data which they can later exaggerate to sell supplements. We also have a responsibility not to circulate poor claims like this and encourage the spread of unproven data and the sales of ineffective health supplements.
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Good point.
A step further; is there true morality or is it purely a social construct based of culture and need within society?
A question like that deserves it's own thread
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Those are fast and loose concepts within religion though. Some religions demand women accept a submissive role in life and demand they forgive men who lord over them with misogynist world views. Other religions refuse to accept gay people and demand they change their ways and ask for forgiveness. Demanding people to ask for forgiveness is contradictory to the meaning of forgiveness.
Although religion and morality are not synonymous, religion and inconsistency sure seem to be synonymous.
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HIV and its survival outside the body
in Microbiology and Immunology
Posted
It's not easy to contact HIV, the virus would need to enter your blood stream through a mucous membrane. When you say the solution 'spilled' on you, can you be more specific? Although it is possible to contact HIV from 'occupational exposure' you would need to have had broken skin (wound, cut, scab, etc) or through direct injection into your blood stream from an infected needle.
Actually, the HIV virus survives a lot better in the cold and at –70°C it will survive indefinitely. It is kept at –70°C for lab tests because it does not lose viral activity.