Not according to this graph, which shows an almost inverse correlation between retirement age and lifespan, that is, the sooner you retire, the longer you will live. The graph shows linearity going into earlier years. It is interesting how long that relation holds.

This somehow contrasts with this study which comes to the opposite conclusion. However, if, as stated in the comments, the study was not corrected for the poorer health of some early retires, e.g. people retire early because they are in poor health, the conclusion that one doesn’t live long is obvious, no?

A priori reasoning would suggest that not having any job related stress at the chronic low level that leads to increased blood pressure and bad habits like sugary drinks (insulin havoc), which comes with many jobs, perhaps especially careers, would increase life span. Of course, the lack of a job could also lead to a lack of meaning which would lead to stress. Pointless activities (including jobs) do seem to be somewhat disagreeable.

Hence, I suspect one should simply take it for what it is worth, that is, lifespan is a very individual matter and that it correlates weakly with group behavior. In my case I am certainly more relaxed and content than I was in my career. Thus I would expect to live longer being retired. Conversely, if I had continued complaining about my career (many of my complaints agree with this paper), specifically balancing the fascinating parts, like research and model building, with the inane parts like proposal writing, doing the same presentation over and over, and building my resume, it just might have cost me a decade of life, not to mention perhaps several decades of living.

Originally posted 2010-02-21 15:01:13.

According to the government, the average family spends $700 on food. That’s $700 a year, right?

Alright, so here’s one way to do it. I call it the sloppy joe pinto bean one dollar meal.

You need a can opener, a knife, a pressure cooker, and a spoon. These are all available from the minimalist kitchen. If you don’t have one of those, here’s how to get one. Aside from that you need some ingredients.

• Pinto beans, soaked and cooked (these are essential). We got a 10lb bag of these on freecycle. Pinot beans are good for anything that gets mushy e.g. refried beans.
• Sliced and diced onion (this is essential)
• Can of tomato paste (this is also essential)
• Chopped jalapeno peppers. (this is optional) We used to have them in the garden. One of the few things that actually worked (tomatoes being the other one), but this came out of a can.
• Basil (optional)
• Oregano (optional)
• Tabasco (optional)
• Chili pepper (optional)
• Black pepper (optional)
• Garlic (optional)

Leaving out the optional parts changes the taste but does not affect the general idea.

Fry the onions in a pan. Add the rest except the beans. Stir. Now add the beans. You’re done.

You can serve it on bread with lettuce, tomatos, olives, etc. or with rice and pasta. All these options create a balanced amino acid profile. Have fun.

Originally posted 2008-11-27 06:51:40.

I have started to use baking soda to brush my teeth (again). I don’t do this to save money on toothpaste, which is cheap and often free thanks to the lunacy of coupon clipping (this is the only place where we do this). Rather, I do it to save money on the dentist, who is evil and sadistic. For someone who is contemplating skipping dental insurance, this becomes a concern.

Baking soda raises the pH (I knew that) while bacteria in the mouth creates acid (low pH) as a byproduct (I knew that) which destroys the enamel (I knew that too). I just did not put those things together and thought that the main reason for including the baking soda was for its abrasive effect. In addition baking soda causes a lot of saliva which is why you can just put the powder on the toothbrush and start brushing. This saliva further helps the acid disposal process.

DIY toothpaste is basically composed of bacteria unfriendly ingredients. Use any combination of salt, baking soda, and high proof alcohol. The rest is just taste and advertising. Speaking of which; did you know that Listerine was originally invented to cure athletes foot? Instead it was turned into a mouthwash. Nothing wrong with that. Just good business practice.

Of course the main action is mechanical, so you could brush your teeth without any toothpaste whatsoever, and I suppose really frugal people chew on a stick. In that case, just keep your toothbrush in the sun to fry the bacteria with free UV radiation (not behind glass, glass has sun factor 40+ and stops most UV). Alternatively, if you’re a consumer, you just buy one of those electric toothpaste where you don’t have to move your hand and UV light so you don’t have to walk all the way over to the window to put the toothbrush down, but instead have to work a job to pay for it. Also the consumer product has the side effect of stimulating the economy(!)

Originally posted 2008-07-25 08:07:54.