Monday Quick Hits

It’s Monday again – so lets see some of the insanity that came in through the weekend.

To start things off, how about Lt. Saavik (Kirstie Alley herself) demonstrating her secret weight loss plan.

To me, I could care less.  I think if smoking works for you, let me pass you a lighter, but of course the media has to be in her grill.

So, if that is your thing – head over to the Daily Mail and check out the rest of the pics.

Since we are on the subject of smoking, how about an article that “Smoking may be beneficial to long distance runners”.

-Serum hemoglobin is related to endurance running performance. Smoking is known to enhance serum hemoglobin levels and (added bonus), alcohol may further enhance this beneficial adaptation.
-Lung volume also correlates with running performance, and training increases lung volume. Guess what else increases lung volume? Smoking.
-Running is a weight-bearing sport, and therefore lighter distance runners are typically faster runners. Smoking is associated with reduced body weight, especially in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (these folks require so much energy just to breath that they often lose weight).
In the discussion, Ken goes on to point out that:
Cigarette smoking has been shown to increase serum hemoglobin, increase total lung capacity and stimulate weight loss, factors that all contribute to enhanced performance in endurance sports. Despite this scientific evidence, the prevalence of smoking in elite athletes is actually many times lower than in the general population. The reasons for this are unclear; however, there has been little to no effort made on the part of national governing bodies to encourage smoking among athletes.

Another tobacco article in the news (wow – three in a row) just goes to one step further to make Baseball Dead to me.  You see, MLB is enacting a new rule about Chewing Tobacco -

Major League Baseball announced it would no longer allow the use of chewing tobacco when fans are present. If you've got it, says the league, you've got to conceal it.

Really?  Kids don’t chew tobacco because big leaguers do…they do it because their friends and parents do (and yes, I knew some women that did).  MLB needs to focus on regulating steroid use and allowing Pete into the hall…..but tobacco enforcement is the least of their worries.  What would the Babe think?

On other news, Boone County Police released Gary Pinkel’s dash cam footage from his arrest.  I will refrain from my standard commentary and just let you make your own judgment.

Finally, on a lighter note…..I’ve stolen a picture off a friend on FB.  Justin pinged me this morning to let me know he liked the blog, and in going through his pictures – I found a good one, especially if you are tired of dodging all the deer this year. 

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and stayed safe….and Justin, check out Crystal Head.