Tuesday, July 28, 2015
ZNAPS -The $9 Magnetic Adapter for your mobile devices
Let's make charging easier! ZNAPS is a simple yet perfect solution to
prevent frayed charging cables, tripping over cable resulting in smashed
phones, pointless fiddling to plug in cable in the dark, water damage
through charging outlet, and more! This innovative magnetic charging
adapter will make your life just a bit more convenient.
ZNAPS
ZNAPS
Monday, July 27, 2015
Sunday, July 26, 2015
Please STOP Saying These Ridiculous Phrases At Work
By Dr. Travis Bradberry
At first, euphemisms surfaced in the workplace to help people deal with touchy subjects that were difficult to talk about. Before long, they morphed into corporate buzzwords that expanded and took over our vocabulary until our everyday conversations started sounding like they're taking place on another planet,
I understand the temptation. These phrases are spicy and they make you feel clever (low hanging fruit is a crutch of mine), but they also annoy the hell out of people.
If you think that you can use these phrases without consequence, you're kidding yourself. Just pay close attention to how other people react to your using them, and you'll see that these phrases don't cast you in a favorable light.
After all, TalentSmart has tested the emotional intelligence of more than a million people and one of the biggest need areas for most people is social awareness. Most of us are so focused on what we're saying and what we're going to say next that we lose sight of how our words affect other people.
So give this list a read, think of how often you use some of these words, and see if you can catch yourself before you use them again.
Have some fun with it, because at the end of the day if you don't hit the ground running you can always go back to the drawing board and get the ball rolling...
1. At the end of the day
2. Back to the drawing board
3. Hit the ground running
4. Get the ball rolling
5. Low hanging fruit
6. Thrown under the bus
7. Think outside the box
8. Let's touch base
9. Get my manager's blessing
10. It's on my radar
11. Ping me
12. I don't have the bandwidth
13. No brainer
14. Par for the course
15. Bang for your buck
16. Synergy
17. Move the goal post
18. Apples to apples
19. Win-win
20. Circle back around
21. All hands on deck
22. Take this offline
23. Drill-down
24. Elephant in the room
25. On my plate
What phrases are your pet peeves? Please share them in the comments section below.
It'll also be fun to read the ridiculous sentences you can come up with using words from the list above (write them in the comments). I'll send an autographed copy of my book to whoever comes up with the phrase that makes me laugh the hardest.
Because, after all, I learn just as much from you as you do from me.
At first, euphemisms surfaced in the workplace to help people deal with touchy subjects that were difficult to talk about. Before long, they morphed into corporate buzzwords that expanded and took over our vocabulary until our everyday conversations started sounding like they're taking place on another planet,
"Listen Ray, I don't have the bandwidth for it with everything that's on my plate, but ping me anyway because at the end of the day it's on my radar and I don't want to be thrown under the bus because I didn't circle back around on this no-brainer."
I understand the temptation. These phrases are spicy and they make you feel clever (low hanging fruit is a crutch of mine), but they also annoy the hell out of people.
If you think that you can use these phrases without consequence, you're kidding yourself. Just pay close attention to how other people react to your using them, and you'll see that these phrases don't cast you in a favorable light.
After all, TalentSmart has tested the emotional intelligence of more than a million people and one of the biggest need areas for most people is social awareness. Most of us are so focused on what we're saying and what we're going to say next that we lose sight of how our words affect other people.
So give this list a read, think of how often you use some of these words, and see if you can catch yourself before you use them again.
Have some fun with it, because at the end of the day if you don't hit the ground running you can always go back to the drawing board and get the ball rolling...
1. At the end of the day
2. Back to the drawing board
3. Hit the ground running
4. Get the ball rolling
5. Low hanging fruit
6. Thrown under the bus
7. Think outside the box
8. Let's touch base
9. Get my manager's blessing
10. It's on my radar
11. Ping me
12. I don't have the bandwidth
13. No brainer
14. Par for the course
15. Bang for your buck
16. Synergy
17. Move the goal post
18. Apples to apples
19. Win-win
20. Circle back around
21. All hands on deck
22. Take this offline
23. Drill-down
24. Elephant in the room
25. On my plate
What phrases are your pet peeves? Please share them in the comments section below.
It'll also be fun to read the ridiculous sentences you can come up with using words from the list above (write them in the comments). I'll send an autographed copy of my book to whoever comes up with the phrase that makes me laugh the hardest.
Because, after all, I learn just as much from you as you do from me.
Friday, July 24, 2015
50 reasons to love the world
I haven't been to almost all the these places. I guess I have some traveling to do.
50 reasons to love the world
50 reasons to love the world
Earth 2.0: Bad News for God
The discovery of Kepler-452b
is not likely to see the public swoon with a collective rendition of
Kumbaya. But this Earth 2.0 is a huge if under-appreciated discovery,
not because Kepler-452b is unique but for just the opposite reason;
there are likely thousands or millions or even billions of such
earth-like planets in the universe.
Earth 2.0: Bad News for God
Earth 2.0: Bad News for God
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Do You Know How Many Times Hank Aaron Struck Out?
The Optimizer.....by Brian Johnson
When’s the last time you read a great book or watched a great movie without *any* challenges? Right. Not gonna happen. The hero’s journey requires a hero and that hero MUST (!) battle his or her dragons in pursuit of her ultimate potential. That always involves rough spots. Times of failure. The dark night when we want to give up. Period. No getting around that.
The question isn’t whether or not we experience a chapter or three of the hard times (we better if we’re committed to actualizing!). The question is how the story ENDS. And we’re always the authors of that part of the story! Og tells us a great story to remind us that failure is required for success. It’s 1974. Hank Aaron is in pursuit of Babe Ruth’s all-time home run record. (And I was just born!) Og calls the Atlanta Braves and asks a young staffer how many times Hank struck out. “Strikeouts?” the young man asks. “Yep,” says Og. “I know Hank has 710 homers but how many strikeouts does he have?”
After a few minutes of researching, the young man comes back on the line and delivers the report: “As of last night, Hank has 1,262 strikeouts.” 710 homers. 1,262 strikeouts. Our hero Hank Aaron has struck out nearly TWICE the number of times he’s hit homers. And, he’s the best ever.
You can’t hit home runs without strikeouts. We can’t have success without failure. As Alan Watts would say, one “goes with” the other.
And as IBM founder Thomas Watson advises: “Would you like me to give you a formula for success? It’s quite simple, really. Double your rate of failure.”
Here’s to embracing the exhilarating hero’s journey that is our lives as we embrace a better way to live!
“Remember that even the most successful lives contain chapters of failure just as any good novel does, but how the book ends depends on us. We are the authors of our years, and our failures and defeats are only steps to something better.” —Og Mandino from A Better Way to Live
When’s the last time you read a great book or watched a great movie without *any* challenges? Right. Not gonna happen. The hero’s journey requires a hero and that hero MUST (!) battle his or her dragons in pursuit of her ultimate potential. That always involves rough spots. Times of failure. The dark night when we want to give up. Period. No getting around that.
The question isn’t whether or not we experience a chapter or three of the hard times (we better if we’re committed to actualizing!). The question is how the story ENDS. And we’re always the authors of that part of the story! Og tells us a great story to remind us that failure is required for success. It’s 1974. Hank Aaron is in pursuit of Babe Ruth’s all-time home run record. (And I was just born!) Og calls the Atlanta Braves and asks a young staffer how many times Hank struck out. “Strikeouts?” the young man asks. “Yep,” says Og. “I know Hank has 710 homers but how many strikeouts does he have?”
After a few minutes of researching, the young man comes back on the line and delivers the report: “As of last night, Hank has 1,262 strikeouts.” 710 homers. 1,262 strikeouts. Our hero Hank Aaron has struck out nearly TWICE the number of times he’s hit homers. And, he’s the best ever.
You can’t hit home runs without strikeouts. We can’t have success without failure. As Alan Watts would say, one “goes with” the other.
And as IBM founder Thomas Watson advises: “Would you like me to give you a formula for success? It’s quite simple, really. Double your rate of failure.”
Here’s to embracing the exhilarating hero’s journey that is our lives as we embrace a better way to live!
Sunday, July 19, 2015
Sacred Cows
I just received my copy of the book and am looking forward to roaming through his observation of some of the different aspects of religion and culture. I expect it to bring on some grins and chuckles.
You can find the book in hard cover, paper back, and audible.
I pulled this information from a couple of sources.
Seth Andrews is an author, video producer, radio host, public speaker and host of one of the largest online secular communities in the world. Once a faithful member of the flock for 30 years, Seth ultimately parted ways with fundamentalist Christianity and now directs a more satirical eye toward "sacred" claims and customs. With a mix of humor and heart, he reminds his audience that ideas (even those considered untouchable) are fair game for scrutiny, and that those claiming The Answer should prepare themselves for a few more questions. After all, it's only when we stop questioning that we stop discovering. The Thinking Atheist is on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and BlogTalkRadio.
Friday, July 17, 2015
The Science of Stupid
This show combines cold hard science
with some of the craziest, most spectacular and painful user generated
clips ever recorded.
Richard Hammond introduces all manner of mishaps featuring brave, of misguided individuals from around the world and then explains the science behind their failure and humiliation with the use of bespoke animations and super slo-mo cinematography.
Every episode features between 50 and 60 clips of misadventure – ordinary folk making extraordinary mistakes.
Each week watch stunts
involving weightlifting, shooting guns or jumping over cars, that have
gone wrong, paused, re-wound, and re-played and analysed to determine
exactly what went wrong and why.
Richard explains the physics, chemistry and biology at play, then presents forensic details to explain the stupidity that resulted in failure.
He’ll look at everything including weight, volume, momentum, combustion and even how the brain operates.
Here's one for your viewing pleasure. You can find more out there.
The Science of Stupid
This probably wouldn't end well, but...
I don't suppose the cops would see the humor in this either.
Tyrann Mathieu stays in a hot car during new PETA ad
Mathieu agreed to attempt to sit in an SUV for 15 minutes with no A/C
and the windows up. After eight minutes, Mathieu couldn't take it any
longer. The car's temperature was 97 degrees after two minutes and rose
to 120 degrees at the eight-minute mark.
Tyrann Mathieu stays in a hot car
The same is true with a child in the car.
This bears repeating over and over. The message is a simple one.
DON'T DO IT!
Tyrann Mathieu stays in a hot car
The same is true with a child in the car.
This bears repeating over and over. The message is a simple one.
DON'T DO IT!
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Two recent videos to make you smile
These are a couple of great videos that show what a simple joy can bring. I've watched these several times and I still enjoy watching their moment of sheer happiness.
Marine Comes Home And Surprises His Beagle
Baby Overjoyed After Trying on Glasses For the First Time
Marine Comes Home And Surprises His Beagle
Baby Overjoyed After Trying on Glasses For the First Time
How the brain perceives time
New experiments explore how the timekeepers in our heads help us make sense of the world.
How the brain perceives time
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
The Limits of Critical Thinking
This is a reprint of the July 15, 2015 eSkeptic magazine.
BY JAMY IAN SWISS
The recent self-inflicted deaths of 39 members of the Heaven’s Gate cult raises challenging questions for skeptics. We are tempted to point in horror and issue our own doomsday admonitions: “Warning! Danger! These are the hazards of belief in UFOs and other goofy stuff! Beware! Lack of critical thinking skills equals madness equals death!” If only these particular victims had read Randi’s Flim-Flam!, they might be living, productive members of society today.
Or maybe not.
My experience with deception has proven to me that the human brain is evolutionarily programmed to be readily manipulated, whether by the likes of itinerant conjurors like myself and James Randi or by virulent megalomaniacs like Marshall Herff Applewhite. The human tendency to organize information even where no useful information exists appears to be hardwired into our brains. It was there for the first aboriginal rain dance, and it’s here today for the most contemporary forms of magical thinking. That tendency to organize, to look ahead and be creative and surmise from thin evidence is a distinctly human trait, as responsible for the greatness of the human condition as it is for its follies and failings. Our human “big brain” is an accident of evolution that may well be our salvation or undoing as a species, with its abilities to invent, create, explore and imagine, or to become addicted, depressed, or believe incredibly dangerous ideas in the face of all evidence to the contrary.
When we see the apparently placid willingness of the Higher Source cult members to fulfill their grisly task of self-destruction, it is difficult to view them as victims. Considering the patently ludicrous ideas the cult based its belief system on, it’s tempting to write the followers off as cranks who were victims only of their own willful stupidity. But the phenomenon of cultism is characterized by distinctly manipulative practices of recruitment and maintenance that must be considered independently of the particular belief system they happen to be promoting. Toxicly effective cult leaders like Herff Applewhite will always produce followers who swear to their willing allegiance and free choice just as the observer of a magic trick will swear he never looked away the whole time the magician’s spoon was magically bending. Both victims are certain they had all the information necessary to make a capable judgment.
The issue of psychological manipulation is a graduated continuum, from the person fooled by the spoon-bender to the cult victim controlled to the point of suicide. But if the cult member is a victim of a psychological predator, what about those in the free marketplace of ideas who elect to repudiate conventional medicine and sign on with a homeopathic practitioner? The wiring flaws of the human brain notwithstanding, isn’t the homeopathy user a victim of willful ignorance?
Such individuals have to be given full responsibility for their lives to muck about with as they wish. We are overwhelmed by such examples of “epistemological hedonism,” i.e., if it feels good, believe it. Education doesn’t protect those who believe irrespective of facts and information. Those who become hostile and defensive the moment we question, for example, the concept of astrology do so because such questions challenge their entire view of world and self, not simply—as skeptics are inclined to consider it—the specific facts concerning a narrow subject matter, easily disproved. As skeptical educators we must do more than simply provide cautionary signposts detailing a shopping list of road hazards labeled astrology, ufology, and a host of other pseudologies. We recognize that we must encourage broad-based thinking skills to help inoculate people against malicious crackpottery. That training must begin early in life, because it is the rare adult who comes to recognize the logical flaws in their own longstanding belief system. Our task is to teach the young—along with anyone else who will listen—to think for themselves, so that they can use these skills throughout their lives. Rational inquiry isn’t merely an academic exercise or a chore that protects us from danger. Critical thinking enhances individual responsibility by liberating us to assess risk and embrace informed choice and thereby more fully savor the human experience. Unfortunately, thinking will never be foolproof protection against the threats of deception; fools can be very determined, as can the inclination to be fooled. Thinking is merely our best chance.
BY JAMY IAN SWISS
The recent self-inflicted deaths of 39 members of the Heaven’s Gate cult raises challenging questions for skeptics. We are tempted to point in horror and issue our own doomsday admonitions: “Warning! Danger! These are the hazards of belief in UFOs and other goofy stuff! Beware! Lack of critical thinking skills equals madness equals death!” If only these particular victims had read Randi’s Flim-Flam!, they might be living, productive members of society today.
Or maybe not.
My experience with deception has proven to me that the human brain is evolutionarily programmed to be readily manipulated, whether by the likes of itinerant conjurors like myself and James Randi or by virulent megalomaniacs like Marshall Herff Applewhite. The human tendency to organize information even where no useful information exists appears to be hardwired into our brains. It was there for the first aboriginal rain dance, and it’s here today for the most contemporary forms of magical thinking. That tendency to organize, to look ahead and be creative and surmise from thin evidence is a distinctly human trait, as responsible for the greatness of the human condition as it is for its follies and failings. Our human “big brain” is an accident of evolution that may well be our salvation or undoing as a species, with its abilities to invent, create, explore and imagine, or to become addicted, depressed, or believe incredibly dangerous ideas in the face of all evidence to the contrary.
When we see the apparently placid willingness of the Higher Source cult members to fulfill their grisly task of self-destruction, it is difficult to view them as victims. Considering the patently ludicrous ideas the cult based its belief system on, it’s tempting to write the followers off as cranks who were victims only of their own willful stupidity. But the phenomenon of cultism is characterized by distinctly manipulative practices of recruitment and maintenance that must be considered independently of the particular belief system they happen to be promoting. Toxicly effective cult leaders like Herff Applewhite will always produce followers who swear to their willing allegiance and free choice just as the observer of a magic trick will swear he never looked away the whole time the magician’s spoon was magically bending. Both victims are certain they had all the information necessary to make a capable judgment.
The issue of psychological manipulation is a graduated continuum, from the person fooled by the spoon-bender to the cult victim controlled to the point of suicide. But if the cult member is a victim of a psychological predator, what about those in the free marketplace of ideas who elect to repudiate conventional medicine and sign on with a homeopathic practitioner? The wiring flaws of the human brain notwithstanding, isn’t the homeopathy user a victim of willful ignorance?
Such individuals have to be given full responsibility for their lives to muck about with as they wish. We are overwhelmed by such examples of “epistemological hedonism,” i.e., if it feels good, believe it. Education doesn’t protect those who believe irrespective of facts and information. Those who become hostile and defensive the moment we question, for example, the concept of astrology do so because such questions challenge their entire view of world and self, not simply—as skeptics are inclined to consider it—the specific facts concerning a narrow subject matter, easily disproved. As skeptical educators we must do more than simply provide cautionary signposts detailing a shopping list of road hazards labeled astrology, ufology, and a host of other pseudologies. We recognize that we must encourage broad-based thinking skills to help inoculate people against malicious crackpottery. That training must begin early in life, because it is the rare adult who comes to recognize the logical flaws in their own longstanding belief system. Our task is to teach the young—along with anyone else who will listen—to think for themselves, so that they can use these skills throughout their lives. Rational inquiry isn’t merely an academic exercise or a chore that protects us from danger. Critical thinking enhances individual responsibility by liberating us to assess risk and embrace informed choice and thereby more fully savor the human experience. Unfortunately, thinking will never be foolproof protection against the threats of deception; fools can be very determined, as can the inclination to be fooled. Thinking is merely our best chance.
Why Smart People Are Not Always Rational
This is a pretty interesting article. It reminds us that smart people aren't smart in all areas.
It's in three parts and a little long to put here, so I've put the three links here for you to read at your leisure.
Why Smart People Are Not Always Rational
More On Why Smart People Are Not Always Rational
It's in three parts and a little long to put here, so I've put the three links here for you to read at your leisure.
Why Smart People Are Not Always Rational
More On Why Smart People Are Not Always Rational
Why Smart Doesn’t Guarantee Rational, Part III
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Why Walking is NOT Optimal for Fat Loss
Seems every doctor and wristband gadget-maker is trying to get us all to walk more. But there’s a dirty little secret those expensive gadget-makers DON’T want you to know:Walking IS great for health and reducing stress... but it’s terrible for fat loss as the study below (one of many on the subject shows. And it’s especially ineffective at eliminating that stubborn flab that clings to our worst trouble spots. It just doesn’t deliver enough of a metabolic stimulus to get and keep your fat burning hormones working!
Yes, when you walk a certain percentage of calories used for fuel are burned as fat. BUT, because walking is so low intensity, the OVERALL amount of calories burned is low, so the total amount of fat burned barely registers.
Plus, the moment you stop walking, your metabolism goes back to normal and any extra calorie-burning goes back to normal as well. So, unless you have 3-5 hours a day to walk 10,000 – 20,000 steps or more, that’s not gonna cut it!
Wouldn’t it be better if your metabolism kept burning fat for 24 – 48 hours after your workout? And instead of 3-5 hours of monotonous walking, wouldn’t it be better if you could generate this extended fat burning effect after just 15-20 minutes of activity?
Why Walking Stinks for Fat Loss (and What Can Get You DOUBLE the Fat Loss Results)...
A recent study published in BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation compared walking to a somewhat unusual metabolism-stimulating activity. Check out these amazing results:
The metabolism group lost 95% MORE body fat (11.9% vs. 6.1%) AND shrunk their waist 10 times more (6% vs. .6% (yes, that's 6/10ths of a percent) compared to walkers. So not only did they lose more fat, but their body shape improved. But it gets even better. The metabolism group also increased their V02max (their volume of oxygen utilization) by 2,000% more (16.8% vs. .6%).
V02max indirectly measures your overall ability to burn fat. The higher the number, the more fat you burn at rest. So those in the metabolic group became better at burning fat all day, every day!
Here's the Catch...
The group doing the metabolism-stimulating exercise was doing BOXING-related activities -- like footwork drills, punching bags, jumping rope and so on. Punching, jumping and complicated, pounding footwork isn't something you can do without learning the skills and proper guidance.
Plus, these folks were doing this for 50 minutes 4 times a week which is A LOT better than 3-5 hours of walking every day (and a lot more fun...), but still a significant time commitment.
HIIT simply requires an all-out effort (all out for your personal fitness level, of course) for 20-30 seconds followed by a brief active "rest" (you're still moving) for maybe a minute or 2, followed by another all-out effort, in sequence, for several rounds (3-8 rounds). Now, it isn't easy, and for those of you who are more "body sensitive" (meaning you perceive body sensations more acutely than some), you may not take to this method of exercise as you do get quite winded and your muscles will BURN (a lot...), which are the big indicators that you're working in the HIIT zone. In sum, you will NOT be comfortable...So, if these sensations freak you out or repel you, best not to go there. As a trainer, it's been my experience that HIIT intervals aren't for everyone, but for those who take the rigor, there are substantial benefits to the approach in terms of fitness improvements and fat loss. If you have any health conditions or concerns regarding your level of conditioning, please consult with a professional before trying this sort of training! You absolutely have to know what you're doing to venture into this more challenging realm!
The chart on the right highlights the relationship between activities and metabolic activation (fat-burning capacity). The top of the pyramid is the lowest level of activation, the bottom of the pyramid, the highest. Note the inverse time-to-intensity relationship, the higher the intensity, the less time needed to create results!
Sunday, July 12, 2015
Commedian Louis Black On Religion
This guy is pretty funny. He is pretty emotional and yells a lot, which seems to fit his style. Enjoy.
Lewis Black On Religion 2015
Harley-Davidson Electric Motorcycle
The videos on this bike is from a year ago, but I have heard little since then. I hope the development continues. I'm not sure it is the one for me, but it looks like it would be quite a ride. They only initially forecast it would be good for about 63 miles, which is a little short than what I would like, but I think this will get better. Hopefully not before I'm too old to enjoy the thrill of straddling one.
Harley-Davidson LiveWire Electric Motorcycle
Plus...Harley-Davidson Project LiveWire - Jay Leno's Garage
Saturday, July 11, 2015
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Not until 2016, but Star Wars: The Force Awakens will be out late in 2015.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Let's go to the movies!
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Let's go to the movies!
Friday, July 10, 2015
10 Landmine Exercises You’ve Never Tried - and Should
I started doing Landmine exercises a while ago, and I find these can be some of the best workouts you can do. For me, they simulate movements you do in real life and they work more than a single set of muscles, giving you a better overall workout.
I still have a long way to go with these, but I'm finding there are a whole range of workout circuits you can do with a Landmine setup, and you don't need others there for spotting, etc., yet you can move significant weight and get the workout you are looking for. Give this a try, you might find it worth your effort.
Here is one site you can use to give you an idea of what comprises a Landmine exercise. Get off that treadmill and start strengthening you core.
Landmine conditioning
I still have a long way to go with these, but I'm finding there are a whole range of workout circuits you can do with a Landmine setup, and you don't need others there for spotting, etc., yet you can move significant weight and get the workout you are looking for. Give this a try, you might find it worth your effort.
Here is one site you can use to give you an idea of what comprises a Landmine exercise. Get off that treadmill and start strengthening you core.
Landmine conditioning
2014 Seth Andrews Letter
A fan video created using a monologue written by
Seth Andrews of The Thinking Atheist. It was written to those who have
come out as atheists to family and friends.
The text of the letter is here. http://www.thethinkingatheist.com/…/A-Letter-of-Encourageme…
The text of the letter is here. http://www.thethinkingatheist.com/…/A-Letter-of-Encourageme…
Someone took these words from a 2014 speech...and created this. Many thanks. Seth Andrews.
Seth Andrews Letter
Wednesday, July 08, 2015
Monday, July 06, 2015
Wednesday, July 01, 2015
The Treadmill Originated in Prisons
by Cassie Arnold
Exercising on a treadmill often feels like torture, and that’s not
exactly a coincidence. In 1818, an English civil engineer named Sir William Cubitt
devised a machine called the “tread-wheel” to reform stubborn and idle
convicts.
Prisoners would step on the 24 spokes of a large paddle wheel,
climbing it like a modern StairMaster. As the spokes turned, the gears were
used to pump water or crush grain. (Hence the eventual name treadmill.)
In
grueling eight-hour shifts, prisoners would climb the equivalent of 7,200 feet.
The exertion, combined with poor diets, often led to injury and illness (as
well as rock-hard glutes), but that didn’t stop penitentiaries all over Britain
and the United States from buying the machines. In 1824, prison guard James
Hardie credited the device with taming New York’s more defiant inmates. He
wrote that it was the treadmill’s “monotonous steadiness, and not its severity,
which constitutes its terror."
Over the years, American wardens gradually stopped using the
treadmill in favor of other backbreaking tasks, such as picking cotton,
breaking rocks, or laying bricks. In England, the treadmill persisted until the
late 19th century, (wait for it...) when
it was abandoned
for being too cruel.
The machine was all but lost to history. But when Dr. Kenneth Cooper
demonstrated the health benefits of aerobic exercise in the 1960s, the
treadmill made a triumphant return. Today, personal trainers have happily taken
the place of prison wardens.
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