design - the mercedes sls amg

Here is another example of an object of desire arising from good design. Nothing quite comes close to the sculptural beauty of a well-designed car.

naked mole rats, termites and us

In an article published August 7, 2010 in the NY Times, regarding our shifting paradigm of happiness, it states, "the creation of complex, sophisticated relationships is a rare thing in the world." It goes on to say that "only termites, naked mole rats and certain insects like ants and bees construct social networks as complex as human beings. "

The article incidentally, was entitled, "But Will It Make You Happy?" In essence, the article covered the strategies people are employing to "buy" happiness in this economically turbulent time. "If Money Doesn't Make You Happy, Then You Aren't Spending It Right" is a forthcoming paper that will soon be published in The Journal of Consumer Psychology. It encapsulates the basic premise of the article: that we are shifting our spending to "experiences" rather than things. This includes things like vacations, sports and equipment and entertainment. We're happier spending on leisure and services that typically strengthens social bonds, which in turn helps amplify happiness. " . . . there is a strong correlation between the quality of people's relationships and their happiness; hence, anything that promotes stronger social bonds has a good chance of making us feel all warm and fuzzy."

Oh, and speaking of social bonds, the happiness boost one gets from marriage is roughly equivalent to a $20,000 increase in spending on leisure. So if you are presently single, well you may want to make a commitment to reap the psychological benefits of happiness at a cheap price.

hormone replacement therapy - a brief update

It's been over a month since I began HRT. According to the literature, the effects/benefits of HRT truly begin to manifest themselves at about the one month mark. Interestingly, whenever I institute a change in my health regiment, I typically go all out attacking it from multiple angles. This "fervor" usually results in confusion about what factors impact the resulting changes. So in this instance, not only did I begin the HRT, but I also resumed weight training, regular cardio workouts AND a carefully monitored caloric intake (of mostly good stuff). So how I am feeling may or may not be directly attributed to the HRT, but worst case, I suspect SOME of my "symptoms" are due to the HRT.

And how am I feeling?

Well, overall I feel stronger physically AND mentally. I feel like my senses have been elevated. It is almost like a "haze" has been lifted from my overall quality of life. I feel more content, self-assured and happier. (Again, all of this could be just the benefits of renewed exercise and a healthier diet.) I'm trying a new weight routine, so once again, I'm not sure if it's the routine or the HRT, but I'm gaining muscle strength and it seems at a more rapid rate than previous sessions. All of this may be psychological mind you, but even so, if it IS psychological, well, that's OK too. In another week, I'll be taking another blood test to compare against my baseline test to determine the actual dosages I should be taking to optimize the benefits of the HRT. Just as a reminder, this includes Melatonin, DHEA, Thyroid and Testosterone (the Big "T"). This should prove interesting. I have a sense I could use a little more boost of all of them. I'll keep you posted of any changes I notice in the test subject (namely, moi, the lab rat).