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The first genetically specific nutritional supplements are here! When Blade Runner gave us a peek into 2019, we saw genetically manufactured beings called replicants put into service to take-on the other world’s dirty work. Maybe we’re not on track for the world’s first Nexus-6 in 2019, but tailored supplements for specific ethnic groups might just be a first step.

Screwing with genetics can lead to disturbing results. But I felt an obligation to loyal Bitness readers and threw caution to the wind. For the last 3 weeks I trusted my genes to a team of scientists at Bitness’ labs, where I was subjected to each of the three genetically specific supplements. The results were shocking (warning: those without a sense of humor or easily offended – turn back now).

Week 1: African American Supplements
Let’s just say the wife was very ‘pleased’ with the effect of this supplement. Trust me, it wasn’t because I suddenly started eating chicken again, making me less of a pain-in-the-ass when it came to planning meals (I’ve been a vegetarian for 16 years).

With the African supplement I just felt like I had more rhythm ya know? I killed it on the basketball court, had a little more swagger in my step and I became more alert – of the police – who seemed to have it out for me. I could kick back with a 40 and suddenly understand everything 50 Cent was saying. All I can say is ‘true that Fiddy.’

Week 2: Hispanic Supplements
I stole my own hub caps on day one! I know, it’s weird – but they were shiny and I like, had to have them meng – ju know? During the Hispanic trial phase I might have made a tactical error. What does ‘Matanza el Gringo’ mean and why did I have it tattooed across my neck? The highlight of week 2 has to be the chimichangas – muy delishioso! Look at me; 2 weeks later and I eat chicken and beef!

Week 3: Caucasian Supplements
You’re probably asking yourself, ‘what effect would a supplement have on someone already of a given race?’ Well in our experiment it accentuated my whiteness. I am now the proud owner of an argyle sweater and bucks! I also joined a country club and subscribed to Field and Stream. Wine, wine and more wine. Love it. (Incidentally I became more uptight and once again banished chicken and beef from my diet).

The Missing Supplement I’ve no idea why they don’t make Asian supplements and frankly I’m disappointed. I was looking forward to an increased aptitude in math and science. Would my driving ability suffer? Would my laundry folding improve? Also, since I was eating chicken and beef again I’m sure I would have given fish bladders a shot.

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People who know me well… maybe even not so well… know I’m somewhat of a full-blown germaphobe. It’s not mud or dirt that bothers me. I’ve always been ‘one’ with the animals. Forever the gentleman, I’ve never felt that girls had the cooties.

It’s people. Dirty, sneeze-and-shake, piss-and-run, ass-scratching, no-hands-washing people. Oh, it’s all the rage now to open a public restroom door with your foot, but I was all elbows and knees in the early 80s! I was ridiculed by my friends and family, all who now admit I was ahead of my time.

You’re probably asking yourself, “Ok Nostradamus then what next? What grim reality for mankind looms on the horizon?”

NostradamusSo I’m here to tell you, it’s super germs. With all the anti-bacterial soap and mutating germs, terrorism and germ warfare, simply stepping on towel in the hotel shower isn’t enough.

My advice is to live as stress free as possible, exercise daily, eat right and if all else fails… get off-the-grid land in some far-flung locale, learn about sustainable living, gear-up and keep the Cipro handy.

Mainstream media will be talking about super germs and pandemics more and more and people will get increasingly freaked out. The fact is, all we can do about it is live a healthy lifestyle, take some responsibility with personal hygiene and when it comes to public restrooms; Hover, don’t Cover (though if you must, set the table – twice).

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New England, there’s something not right about running alone in 20° weather in the pitch black to get a workout. On the West coast they can ride 10 foot barrels WHILE drinking cocktails served by bikini-clad women at WaveHouse.

WaveHouse

Located in San Diego, WaveHouse features – among other attractions (including bikini-clad women) – the FlowRider® Wave-In-A-Box. Essentially a skate ramp with 1 inch padding and water rushed over it’s surface, the FlowRider (a/k/a Bruticus Maximus) gives riders what’s described as an experience that combines surf, skate and snow techniques.

The original WaveHouse is located in Durban, South Africa and future locations are planned for Las Vegas, Phoenix, Honolulu, Orlando, Melbourne, Sydney, Surfer’s Paradise, Netherlands and Singapore.

It costs a cool $5mil to build the whole facility in San Diego, but you can get tubed for about $10. Next time you’re in SD or if one of the locales mentioned above is open, check it out.

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I’m always looking for a good deal on gear. I’m not saying I buy a lot of gear (cough) but I do like to know what the going rate is for – oh I don’t know, a Metolius FatCam. Mountain Gear has them for $40, not bad but here’s the thing – I don’t even climb trad, just sport and bouldering.

Fleece Lined HackamoreSo why do I even care? I mean I cared about gear deals long before bitness.com existed, so it’s not the blog. It’s because I freakin’ love gear. I’m terrified of horses but check out the deal on this Fleece Lined Hackamore! You won’t ever find me defending my wicket – but how can I ignore the aptly named ‘hot deal’ on this pre-knocked, factory seasoned CA-Pakistan cricket bat?

One of my favorite sources for finding out about reasonably priced gear is SteepAndCheap.com, a Backcountry.com ‘powered’ site. When the clock strikes midnight, I get an email with the first deal of the day. But I don’t stop there. I also subscribe to the SAC RSS feed, so I can track when a new deal is posted. Deals are typically 60% below retail – not bad.

Other good gear sites are the aforementioned MountainGear.com, REI, Campmor and of course Overstock.com, the 500 pound gorilla of discount merchandise.

I’d like to know if anyone else knows of some good gear sites? Leave a comment with the link and description of the site so the rest of us gear freaks can get a fix.

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Since its launch several months ago, the Nintendo Wii has received some negative press for folks who hurt themselves, others or inanimate objects. The site Wiihaveaproblem.com tracks the carnage, which includes kids getting accidentally smacked by family members, a dislocated knee, twisted ankles, cuts and contusions.

It’s not all bad news for Wii owners. Twenty one hours of Wii ‘training’ over a six week period (15 minutes per session) helped this guy lose 9 pounds, drop about 2% body fat, lower BMI by 1.2 and lower resting heart rate 14bps. According to the less scientific Wii Fitness Age (WFA), the subject started at age 46 and was as young as 20 during the testing period. The WFA measures speed, balance and stamina using three random sports tests.

This carefully conducted experiment was well documented along the way and reveals which games burn the most calories. Boxing burned the most calories, at approximately 500 calories an hour. For comparison, actual real-life boxing burns calories at about twice the rate. Consider though, that no one is punching you in the face (usually).

I’ll stick to traditional workouts myself, but why not double-up those workouts with some productive gaming? Time to put on the tennis shirts, headband and Rod Lavers. Here is a time lapse of the 6 week Wii workout

https://youtube.com/watch?v=F3vmRcS71NY

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Podphile reported earlier today on a soon to be available watch from Nike called the Nike Speed+. It provides information relayed from the Nike+ sensor which is either inserted into your Nike+ running shoes or attached to the laces of any other shoe.

Nike Speed+The Nike Speed+ can supplant the iPod as the device used to relay run data. This is useful for people who don’t like to run with an iPod, but for most an additional piece of equipment wouldn’t be necessary.

I’m surprised news of this device came so quickly, I would have imagined Apple and Nike had an exclusive arrangement for longer. I can only hope that the recently announced iPhone has an equally short exclusivity agreement with Cingular (and a lower price).

There is no evidence I’m aware of that the Nike Speed+ will be able to control the iPod. For that Nike already has the Nike Amp+.

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The Scott eVest is proof that you can put a patent on damn near anything. Dubbed a “Gear Management Solution,” the SeV promises to get your PAN together by using their TEC. Oh, you’re not hip to Personal Area Networks? What’s that? You never rocked Technology Enabled Clothing? Step up to 2001 son, it’s all about the ZIP-PIP. You feelin’ me?

The SeV is little more than clothing with a lot of pockets that have holes in them (finding keys on your person could create a new dance trend not unlike the Macarena). These pocket holes allow you to run headphones from an MP3 player to your collar, where congruous BudBuckets await.

There site doesn’t seem very recent and that’s probably because people figured out how to put holes in their pockets all by themselves, or just went and bought a Bluetooth headphones. But if you had plans to come out with your own clothing line Mr. Lagerfeld, don’t even think about it. Scott eVest has patents, patents pending, trademarks and registered trademarks for:

  • TECSeV
  • Magnetic Closures
  • BudBuckets
  • No-Bulge Pockets
  • DualAccess Pockets
  • HangingPockets
  • DeepPockets
  • All Access
  • BadgeGrabber
  • CollarConnect
  • CreditCarry
  • Detachable Cargo Cache
  • Detachable Cargo Cache +
  • HatHolder
  • MyMemory Pocket
  • ZIP-PIP

The Burton Amp from 2003 had holes and a controller built into the sleeve so you don’t have to fumble through to find your iPod, that is tech (the newer Audex line features Bluetooth). Many other jackets come with holes for headphones, including my six-year-old daughter’s jacket from LL Bean. I don’t know if these companies are at risk for violating a patent, but I confess I use my pockets for DualAccess; to access my keys and a quick interior adjustment of the vanilla love log.

The truth is you can’t even stop a 3-year-old from creating patentable high technology. My youngest daughter recently developed CouchCache – I’m not talking about loose change left behind by friends, I’m talking about access to real hidden treasures such as Fruit Loops and Barbie Dolls. Rip in the slip cover, I think not – CouchCache homie.

Wearable technology has a lot more to offer than DualAccess, BadgeGrabber and No-Bulge Pockets. I’ve no doubt clothes will get smarter, control body temp, report vitals (heart, pulse), better resist odor, etc. But Hat Holder?

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Balance sports have always been a passion of mine. Skateboarding, snowboarding and climbing (which has just as much to do with balance as it does strength and agility). Slack lining is a great way to develop balance and core strength, but there are myriad other ways including balance boards.

Growing up, my bestest buddy Jason had a Bongo board. The both of us took a few spills in the garage, but eventually couldn’t be budged off the damned thing. Flash forward 15 years later and I’m living in Newport, RI – home of the Rolo Board. Everyone in Newport knew about them and the inside joke was a Rolo Board sticker was as good as a parking pass (Newport being a tourist trap, the police generate a windfall from parking tickets).

Bill ClintonOne Fall President Clinton was in town and I was lucky enough to meet him. As he worked his way down the meet-and-greet line, I saw people give him small gifts. I deftly searched my pockets (no reason to alarm the secret service) looking for something – anything to give WJC. I had a fresh stack of Rolo stickers – my friend Scamp was tight with the guy making the Rolos – so I handed one to the President explaining the importance of the sticker – what with it being from a local small business and all.

“Watch this,” he told me. “Somebody give me a Sharpie!” The White House photographer produced a Sharpie in an instant and our 42nd president signed the sticker with a flourish. We posed together, with me holding the Rolo sticker next to the man who wasn’t bad at balancing a budget. I gave the sticker to Scamp so he could give it to his friend. I thought it would be a cool and he might pin-it-up on the wall. The next day I had a brand new Rolo board as thanks.

Rolo BoardThe Rolo board was a big improvement from the Bongo of yore (note: Bongo makes modern versions now as well). With a concave deck and upturned nose/tail as well as bungees that hold the dowel in place you can ride it in two positions. Skiers, yoga enthusiasts and beginners straddle the dowel and snow/skate/wake/surf boarders set the dowel along the length of the board – directly under foot.

Balance boards are used by the NFL, the US Olympic team, NHL and other professional and elite sports organizations. They’re used to help avoid injuries and to help people recover from injuries. Grab one, start on a rug or grass in the straddle position and you’ll soon realize the benefit on the slopes, in the waves or wherever you put balance and core strength to the test.

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Growing up the son of a cardiologist, I had access to a treadmill more than 30 years ago. Whereas most people watched man of the future George Jetson walk Astro on a treadmill, me and my brothers would go to our father’s office, sprint to the room where they performed stress tests and give my father one of his own. Back then, because it was new, because it seemed so improbable that you could run like a freak in bell-bottoms without going anywhere and I guess because it probably bothered my father – running on a treadmill was fun!

Now that I’m older and have a treadmill, I loathe everything about it. Why did I buy it? I use it only when it’s pouring out, if it’s a Tuesday and the moon is in the Waning Gibbous phase – which is to say ‘rarely.’

For me, the joy of running is getting outside and enjoying the elements – whatever they might be. This winter has been mostly mild in the northeast, but even on cold nights a run in the dark is worth it, if only to scare the bejesus out of unsuspecting neighbors unpacking the car after a hard day at work.

A treadmill lacks the stimulation I need and I rarely last more than 3 miles. Others actually prefer it for the climate controlled environment, to catch-up on current events (some treadmills have built-in TVs), for the security of running on a consistent and forgiving surface or to run naked.

Here to bolster my opinion on treadmills is this cute polar bear/dog creature…

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In the original Bad Boys (1983), while doing time in juvie, Paco Moreno (Esai Morales) had a hard-on for Michael ‘Mick’ O’Brien (Sean Penn). Not in the ‘gay for the stay’ way, but to avenge the accidental death of Paco’s little brother.

Prison Yard WorkoutIn the end, street smarts and a pillow case full of soda cans compensated for Mick’s skinny physique. Had Mick known about the Prison Yard Workout he could have bulked up and prevented any unpleasant confrontation through sheer intimidation – hulking muscles ready to burst out of his pasty Irish skin.

In a few maximum and most medium security prisons, inmates have access to weight lifting equipment that even law abiding citizens can’t afford (even gym memberships). Not only do opponents feel this is unfair, but they also fear that when these inmates are released they’re more intimidating and more capable of inflicting harm than ever before.

Prison Yard Workout ExampleThe truth however, is that even without equipment, prisoners find ways to build the strength and muscle mass necessary to survive their environment. Prison Yard Workout promises you will “Get the body of an inmate without doing 5 to 10,” and without the use of equipment or expensive gym memberships. Actual ex-cons will teach you their workout secrets on a DVD that contains over 30 workouts to target arms, chest, back, shoulders, legs and abs.

I’ve not been incarcerated, nor have I tried the DVD. But if you believe in second chances, want to have the body of an inmate, or want (as Darnay T says in their testimonials) to “attract the ladies,” then either commit a heinous crime or buy the DVD. Just don’t be like Mick and don’t be nobodies bitch.

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Garth“She makes me feel kinda funny, like when we used to climb the rope in gym class.”
Garth Algar, Wayne’s World

I wanted so badly to knock the Viper Rope Climber from Marpo Kinetics. I wanted to say “go out and spend $2-3 per foot for 1.5 inch manila rope, tie it to a tree and save thousands!”

ViperBut the Viper is actually an interesting piece of equipment. Beyond the near-fact that you can’t watch TV climbing a tree, the Viper is a safe alternative for Wheelchair bound folks, kids, the elderly or anyone afraid of heights.

The variable resistance settings provide cardio, strength and circuit training benefits. Rope climbing is an excellent way to build total upper-body strength; arms, chest, back, abs and hands.

Unlike fitness equipment designed to work a specific part of your body, the Viper promises a total upper-body workout as stabilizing muscles are used making you prison fit (trust me, there’s a whole other post coming for this). Rope climbing has been used for ages (back to ancient Greece) for hand-to-hand combat training and 8 time UFC Welterweight Champion Matt Hughes is evidence of that.

If you’re looking for a good work out, looking to get crazy monkey combat skills or worried about a trip to the joint, check out the Viper at local gym locations.

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Hammer SickleDear Sergey, Eugene, Dmitry, Aleksandr; with a bunch of 15 letter last names I can’t pronounce (and I’m 50% Russian myself)!

Thank you for your hard work restoring Bitness. You faithfully ran FSCK over and over and again with the brute force of ignorance, even though disk integrity had nothing to do with the problem.

You decided – during the brief glimpse that the server was actually up for 5 minutes – to take it back down again, during working hours, to install more RAM. Because everyone knows throwing more RAM at a downed server is like throwing a life saver to a drowning shipmate.

Instead of having a logical failover plan in place you created more work for yourselves and more aggravation for both you and your clients, incurring more in labor costs, credits and lost business than what it would take to mirror the server multiple times.

When I asked why you don’t have failover and backup systems in place you said, “I don’t pay enough to have that kind of service.” Kudos comrades, for adding insult to injury.

Thank you, comrades, for night after aggravating night of not being able to share bitness.com with all the people I know and unfortunately emailed the night before promoting the site.

Spasiba and dah sveedahnyah.

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When I had my dog Magic not so long ago, we used to enjoy running together. Usually we would through the woods for miles, Magic with a big grin plastered on his face. The problem was, if there was something cooler than running – say a lake to jump in, or something dead to roll around on, I had to stop, call and wait or risk running ahead and losing him.

One Summer in Southold Long Island, while at my friend Pete’s beach house, Magic and I were separated on such a run in a potato field. He found something interesting to inspect – maybe deer droppings – but I kept going. It was a fairly remote area, no cars and a simple loop back to the house. I figured he’d catch up, but after 15 minutes of waiting I got nervous. After a 30 minutes panic set-in and an all out search ensued.

“Have you seen a yellow lab around here?” I asked a neighbor.

“Oh yes, hell of a swimmer!” came the reply. “He swam across this pond to see the little brown cocker spaniel on the other side!”

Once on the other side I asked the owners of the cocker spaniel, now splayed-out on their lawn by the pond’s edge. “Friendly pup, we gave him a burger. I hope you don’t mind?” I didn’t. “He went down the trail over there, seemed to know where he needed to go.”

“Magic! Maaaaagggggiiiiiicccccc…” I repeated it countless times over the next half hour. When I yelled his name the sick feeling in my stomach seemed to subside. “Maaaaaagic, come on good boy!”

Nothing. I was devastated and after countless inquiries and potato fields I eventually found myself back at Pete’s house. There was where my friend Mike, stroking Magic’s back, laughing and mocking my calls “Maaaaaagic.”

Oh, if only the Globalpetfinder were available then! The Globalpetfinder allows you to track your pet’s whereabouts using GPS and 2-way wireless technology. Create a virtual ‘fence’ – a designated area where the pet can roam and if pet leaves this area an alarm is sent to a cell phone, PDA or other connected device.Globalpetfinder

When the pet owner dials FOUND in their cell phone, the pet’s whereabouts are returned in a text message; “Magic is at 1 Cedar Drive dumbass.” OK, I added the ‘dumbass’ part, but this simple, non-evasive (no surgery or implants) and easy-to-use product is a bargain at under $300.

If Magic were to wear one today my cell phone would say “Magic is in heaven.” Awwwwwwww…