2012-08-31

mech.pencil with less lead wasted

8.13: proj.cyb`gear/mech.pencil with less lead wasted:
. try sawing off tip of a forte pentel a55
and found that the unit is right at the chuck tip,
going below that
clears a lip that holds back the ring
that holds the chuck closed .
pencil modpencil mod fails
. the big win of the whole experiment
is the twist erase-III QE515-C:
pencil mod (simply remove tip)pencil mod works

2012-08-30

conquering imac brightness

8.6: proj.cyb`gear/mac`shades/
combined shade&blue-blocker/test:

. make new imac glasses with orange uv shades
taped to sunglasses
-- depressing in room but just right for mac .

8.7: proj.cyb`gear/mac`shades/
string to raise nose bridge:

. add bridge to mac shades to get more ventilation
and reduce fog .

8.10: proj.cyb`gear/mac`shades:
. tape isn't holding up? get help by
tucking the lenses under the nose bridge string .

8.18: proj.cyb`gear/mac`shades/
drill holes for holding shades on shades:
. use the aluminum wire
in the smallest holes my drill will give .
. like a staple but twisted once too .

making room for a used leather couch

08.25 apt`gear couch
8.24: apt`gear/couch/explore reuse:
. my neighbors tossed a great leather couch
so I took it home with my dolly,
but there's no space in the living room
unless I can move out the couch currently there .
. the only way to get it down the hallway,
is to cut off its absurdly tall arms
(they are as high as the back of the couch!);
but how to remove the upholstry on the couch
without ripping all the fabric up?

an app that alerts you to drone strikes

8.30: news.cyb/dev.iOS/
an app that alerts you to drone strikes:


. npr just said that the Apple app store
recently disallowed an app that would
ring you for each drone strike?

. I can understand why Apple would make such a stand;
they shouldn't be put in the position of
ok'ing another's political speech
in what amounts to their work place .
. would you go on about drones at your workplace ?
some might think that unpatriotic
and some might agree drones are not right
but not want their chain pulled during work .
. we all have to get along at work;
there is plenty of time for free speech afterwards .

. we need a generic version of the same thing:
an app that interfaces a news site
where you can get rings for
your personal search results;
eg, it could be integrated with google's alert service,
which sends emails to you
whenever some search of interest to you
comes up with another hit .
. in this integration,
it could ring your idevice instead of emailing you .

2012-08-08

carnitine saves bone when thyroid acts up

8.5: web.health/osteo/
carnitine saves bone when thyroid acts up

. high T4 and high TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone)
results in lower bone density .
. however it may not be the thyroid directly;
rather,
high thyroid causes high cortisol
and high cortisol causes osteoporosis .
. when hyper-thyroid women were given carnitine
they had better bone density;
and it's known that after carnitine usage,
thyroid hormones can't get to their target;
but some thought this link was not direct:
rather, they theorized that
because carnitine may also lower cortisol
it could be the cortisol reduction
that has carnitine saving bone .
... however, I couldn't find anything on
carnitine's lowering of cortisol,
except that at huge doses it can raise cortisol;
so, I'm theorizing that the reason for
carnitine helping bone mass,
is that it prevents high thyroid activity
and then normalizing thyroid also normalizes cortisol,
which then normalizes bone density .
. any hyperthyroid osteoporosis with normal cortisol?
. Thyroid hormone directly stimulates bone resorption
in organ culture .
. hyper-thyroidism is associated with
accelerated bone remodeling;
conversely,
hypo-thyroidism is associated with
bones that are denser but not stronger
suggesting a retarded resorption
(bone building adds the density
but matched breakdown is needed for strength).