Random Thoughts

1. I really enjoyed Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry's argument for abolishing the concept of retirement, that is, the generic assumption that old people should sit around doing nothing.

2. I drink a lot of whole milk (probably a couple of gallons a week). Sometimes people comment, "Can you imagine what that's doing to your arteries?" Well, probably nothing. Via Conditioning Research, here's a recent systematic review of numerous dietary studies on heart disease. One of the conclusions: "Insufficient evidence (< or =2 criteria) of association is present for intake of supplementary vitamin E and ascorbic acid (vitamin C); saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids; total fat; alpha-linolenic acid; meat; eggs; and milk." What you need to avoid: "intake of trans-fatty acids and foods with a high glycemic index or load," that is, most processed carbohydrates. I should start asking people who eat bagels, "Think about how that's going to clog your arteries."