Coping: In Praise of Vinegar

This is rather amazing. – to the point that I figure I should share it with you:  I am now a pound lighter than I was when Elaine and I took off on our cruise 13-days ago.

The numbers?  I put on 7-pounds during the cruise.  No, I wasn’t particularly proud of it, but lately I have been eating on a regular diet of two meals a day, within 8-hours of each other because of a lot of research I’ve been reading on apple cider vinegar.

One upshot of the reading was to find out that modern dietary ideas – like multiple meals per day – are not really how humans grew up in the wild.  Instead, people apparently used to walk around, looking for food, hunting and foraging, until they found something.

Then they ate to their hearts content….and moved on,

There’s a rhythm, apparently, to how this works.

When ancient ancestors had a meal, it often raised the blood sugar.  The blood sugar converted to fat, the fat was stored.  No mysteries to that.

But according to the data I’ve been reading (before going on the cruise), when the body is not given additional food (remember the wandering off part?) the first calories consumed were the easy-to-get-to sugars. 

Once those were gobbled up, the stored fats were eaten next by the cells.  And, at the tail end of that, the next to go were the heaviest of the fats – the kind that tend to accumulate around the belly in old men like you-know-who.

The idea comes into focus that eating kicks off this sequence of blood sugars increasing, fat storage, sugar burning, and finally fat burning.   Which is why people have different “breath” throughout the day.  Good breath mostly after eating but once the body moves into hard fat conversion, there’s likely some ketosis.

The part of ketosis that matters, when comes to eating habits, is this bit on the mechanics of ketosis from Wikipedia:

“During the usual overnight fast the body’s metabolism naturally switches into ketosis, and will switch back to glycolysis after a carbohydrate-rich meal. Longer-term ketosis may result from fasting or staying on a low-carbohydrate diet, and deliberately induced ketosis serves as a medical intervention for intractable epilepsy.[6] In glycolysis higher levels of insulin promote storage of body fat and block release of fat from adipose tissues, while in ketosis fat reserves are readily released and consumed.[5][7] For this reason ketosis is sometimes referred to as the body’s “fat burning” mode”

What I’ve gotten back into is waiting until Elaine gets up and cooks breakfast, instead of cooking my own.

Her schedule, and mine are offset a good bit:  I’m up at 4 AM writing.  She rolls out sometime between 7 AM and 8 AM…and gets hungry around 8:30 so that’s when food appears.

What this means is that instead of “breaking the fast” of overnight – which is where the word breakfast comes from – I’m adding about 4 1/2 hours to my fat burning time daily by eating when she gets up.

Then, I eat my second meal of the day by 4 PM, which means being up and about 3-4 hours after eating, which helps resolve lots of old-people problems like acid reflux.

But none of this should lose 9-pounds in less than a week. 

What Else was Going On?

Therein lies the tale…

For some reason, part of my “home chemistry experiments with my body” had not yet gotten to the bottle of apple cider vinegar pills that were coming up on my personal testing.  Now I’m into it.

Long-term readers will recall the idea here:  Make up a notebook for yourself and then systematically go through what works well for you as you test every vitamin and supplement you can get your hands on.  There is quite often something in the way of a supplement (or mineral) that when taken will change how you feel.

For example, when I want to learn at an accelerated rate, I will take Source Naturals Huperzine A, 200mcg, 120 Tablets.  The effect of taking one of these bad boys is that within an hour, there’s a marked improvement in mental acuity. 

Taken with a baby aspirin and a small something to eat, it is my “before flying” routine.  Since flying an airplane is a somewhat complex task where you need to have all your faculties, I figure anything that can bump up short-term IQ a bit is worth doing.  So a half cup of coffee, food with lots of protein, and a Huperzine A – plus a baby aspirin – I’m good to fly.

By the way, the baby aspirin is not to keep away pain or prevent heart attack.  Although, sure, it may do these things.  The real reason to take the aspirin is that it increases the body’s uptake of oxygen. 

I can actually tell the difference on the treat mill, too, as well as mental acuity on long flights where we’re up at 7,500 feet, or higher.  (We have oxygen, too, but don’t always carry it unless flight at 9,500 and higher is planned.  Requirements roll in (going from poor memory, 12,500 feet) for supplemental oxygen, but another long discussion…not this morning.)

So there was this bottle of apple cider vinegar pills (similar to High Potency Apple Cider Vinegar 625 mg 180 Caps by Swanson Ultra) in my test queue and I began the four week trial period on those.

WOW!

I was shocked.  9-pounds gone!  I doubt the rate of weight loss will continue as high, but to even lose 3-pounds a week would be phenomenal.  Hell, a pound a week would be fine.

There were a number of dietary changes between the cruise ship weight and this morning’s.

On the cruise ship we ate three squares a day.  Breakfast, lunch, and fabulous (bringing tears to your eyes and triglycerides or your cardiologist’s) dinners.

Restaurant food is generally much higher in sodium (salt), than we’re used to eating around here.  We are using ,Morton – Lite Salt Mixture that contains half the sodium of regular salt, with the balance of saltiness coming from potassium chloride…and since potassium is good for body chemistry….

Shipboard we had alcohol before and with din-din.  A cocktail (or two) and wine (or sake) with meals.

And I ate breakfasts. Better (or worse if you’re on a scale)  NCL has the same French bread taste that shows up in a good light, airy baguette.   And butter….for the bread, for the lobster dipping, and…say…hold out your hand, let me smear some on there, too….

So LOTS of differences in diet.

But the main thing I was shocked with was how quickly the pounds (and then some) has fallen off.

The only major change (other than no bread, no alcohol, two meals in 8-hours and then fasting between, and no added salt except Lite and no French bread or carbbies) was the addition of the apple cider vinegar (ACV) tablet with the morning pill selection (and a large amount of liquids [coffee] with the morning stack.

Take it, or leave it…THIS IS NOT MEDICAL ADVICE.  See your doctor or healthscare provider.  Search benefits of ACV, though, and I think you’ll be impressed and may wish to add it to your personal chemistry testing.  That’s still (until the buggers at the FDA start regulating supplements because of regulatory capture by the Big Pharma Mafia) one of the few areas where we’re relatively free.

Which no doubt means its days are numbered, too.  My expectation is that Codsex Allementarius will be shoved down our throats (along with mandatory GMO crap) sooner than later.

Me?  bitter?

X-Rays and Heart Valves

Say, here’s an interesting read for you, which may be especially significant if you have kin who have hard X-Ray treatments for cancer:

Hi, George,  I came across this information and wanted to get a ‘heads up’ to as many people as possible. The demography of your readership may include people who should have this information.  

It seems that anyone who has had radiation therapy to their chest area may be at risk for heart valve disorders.  The success rate for heart valve replacement is apparently excellent, as long as the patient’s heart hasn’t actually stopped. 

The incidence of this long-term side effect of radiation therapy is growing especially for people who had Hodgkins lymphoma, as more people are surviving for longer.  A very simple check anyone can do is to use a stethoscope  and actually listen to their heart (you can always test one at a pharmacy).  It should sound drum-like.  If instead, it sounds like a washing machine, walk, never run, to the nearest healthcare provider for a cardiac ultrasound.  If you have access to a regular physician, make this info available, to determine if an cardiac ultrasound might be advisable to establish a base line,  even if your heart sounds ok.  In Europe people are routinely checked every 5 years after cancer radiation therapy to the chest area (not simple x-rays).

A study that was not corporately funded was done in Texas, is at http://www.hindawi.com/journals/crp/2011/317659/

Love your blog –  these uncertain days make not having any money to worry about almost a positive thing. In the meantime, we keep carrying on carrying on and every bit of information helps.

Worth passing on.  Thanks!

Our Publishing Schedule

Say, here’s a reasonable question (or it is to me, anyway):  How many times per week should UrbanSurvival be published?

The reason I ask is that I’d sure like to sleep in more – and not burn so much of my “vacation” writing.  Peoplenomics, our in-depth and market newsletter is presently a twice-weekly feature, although originally, it was just once a week – on weekends.

On the other hand, Peoplenomics pays for server space an the odd bit of software or equipment around here.  The total income from UrbanSurvival is a whopping $600 per month.

All of which leads me to asking a question of you, dear reader, so put on your management consulting hat and send in advice.

Here is the present schedule:  Mon-Sat, up at 4 AM to write both Urban and Peoplenomics.

My choices are:

A.  Change nothing

B.  Move the publishing time of Urban to something like 10-11 AM

C.  Cut Urban completely (the name since 1997 has been ripped off by millions, so it has less marketing value) and move everything to Peoplenomics which is more distinctive…

D.  Reduce Urban to three days a week, Keep Peoplenomics at 2…

Or, anything else that comes to mind.

I enjoy writing, don’t get me wrong.  But there’s so much time into the daily column that many important (to me) projects like finishing my novel, get shoved to the back burner.

Sometimes, while standing in the forest, it’s useful to inquire about trees.  So here’s your chance to provide reader feedback.  No clear-cutting allowed.

Move Over Clive Cussler

If you – like me – and enjoy the occasional Clive Cussler novel, you’ll find a visit to the Paul Allen site worthwhile.

Seems that the Microsoft billionaire has taken a page out of a Cussler novel and gone deep sea venturing – finding the 863-foot long remains of a World War II Japanese battleship Musashi off the Philippines.

I’ll be making multiple contributions to the exploration work when Windows 10 is released.

As we read up on Allen’s 414-foot motor yacht Octopus, we can’t help but notice the similarity to the vessels operated by Cussler’s hypothetical research agency NUMA – the National Underwater and Marine Agency.

Since Cussler is a marine historian. we can’t help but wonder who is Allen’s analog to St. Julien Perlmutter – the rotund historian of the Dirk Pitt novel series.  Or, is it Dirk Allen?  Hmmm…

Co-authored with Justin Scott, Cussler’s next set of deposit slips should begin sliding in March 12th when his latest book, The Assassin (An Isaac Bell Adventure) is released.  Different from the Dirk Pitt adventures, which are mainly water-focused, the Isaac Bell series is about an early 1900’s detective. 

And, speaking of novels, yes, I want to finish mine..but time is the curse of the working class.  I’m on hold at the 51,000 word mark.

Ya’ll come back tomorrow and write when you break-even…

George   george@ure.net

80 thoughts on “Coping: In Praise of Vinegar”

  1. First off, I vote B. You deserve a little more shut-eye in these “semi-retirement years.” Many mornings I do not make it to your site until after 10:30 a.m. EST.

    Second, thank you for the write-up on the ACV. I recently purchased an Amish reflux remedy containing ACV, ginger and garlic, finally tried it out yesterday and it worked as fast as they claimed. Double bonus if it helps take off these extra pounds too. Will definitely have to make this part of a daily routine.

  2. I vote for you doing a bit of both choices “B” and “D”. Give yourself some time to enjoy life and do the things you love. Life is too short, (especially at our age), to be all work and no play. That being said the past 10 days or so of winter weather have severely limited my shop time. We got 4″ of snow/ice last night here, just south of Ft Worth. Hopefully this is the last shot of winter weather this season. Sure was good to see the sun today though. First time in 10 days for us. I am ready for warmer and dryer days and time in the shop to get stuff built for the spring show season. Good luck and enjoy.

  3. As a fellow fledgling geezer, I highly suggest slowing down a bit. Early morning is good for beautiful sunrises over the lake or great sex. Nothing else compares, especially working! So write your column later in the day & spend some quality time snuggling in the morning with your favorite blonde!

  4. I can be cool with option B…looking out for yourself and Ms Urban along with the rest of your family is priority one. So, if I have to wait till mid-morning for my daily dose of Urban then so be it.

    Just promise us that you won’t go Ol’ Remus anytime soon…..

    Couldn’t handle losing 2 excellent sites within a reasonable time span.

  5. E. give the people who view your site an opportunity to write a page. You have already opened the line of communication with your comment section. Once a week, or twice if you prefer, allow one of your readers to present some thing of interest on urban survival. You retain full rights of approval of editing and subject matter after all it is your site. It would be prudent to alow the persons writting feedback as well with a comment section. Say On fridays, have a guest speaker. people have all week to submit their “story” to you by Thursday at noon. You review the submitted, edit as appropriate, and on friday you only have to post it. Giving you more time on friday to work on peoplenomics articles for the weekend. I don’t have the available time to write a full time blog, still I might find the time to present something of interest once in a while.

    • I agree with E. I enjoy writing and usually have a lot to say, but no place to say it. And no desire to have a daily quota to meet. Limit contributors to a fixed length range and a fixed number of contributors per week so you don’t change a writing chore to a reading chore. You already provide plenty of weekly topics and it would add some spice for your readers as well as more time for yourself.

    • I like this idea. I’m cool with anything that will keep the free flow of good information at maximum, while keeping the Principal Author and wife in a state of joy and happiness.

      If you feel the need to move an additional day from the free side to the paid side, that might be an option, and help a bit with the bottom line. Early mornings are great, but it’s still fine if the words come later in the day. When things are in a state of high volatility or crisis, the extra Peoplenomics alerts are appreciated.

    • E for me I was also thinking just Drop Mondays.

      Having a guest column sounds great I have a Bone to pick with Warhammer but no space in the reply for a reasoned discussion.

      Seriously with the technology today who cares if Iran gets a nuke? With the current advances in anti-missile technology they simply won’t survive lobbing one or a thousand at Israel.

  6. We kinda like the early morning around our joint. Seem to enjoy the early time for what ever, and , yes the Bride always sleeps late. That’s a personal choice and yours may be different. Keep in mind the time zones, the later in the day the column appears, the less likely one is to check it out. By 10:00 AM EST ( or earlier ) we our no longer using our puter. In our case the recent mid-Sunday offering was not perused till Monday morning. Less offerings would be our choice, but keep the early schedule. or not …

  7. Everyone needs to have quality sleep and rest. I would suggest that you publish at 11 EDT or after the market is open for a bit and keep all else the same.

  8. George, you publish UrbanSurvival for the public for free. You can post whatever and whenever you want. (As a subscriber) I’m reading your site for content and ideas, not as a time substitute for a missing WSJ at breakfast. I’ll complain when the quality decreases, not the quantity.

  9. George, some combination of B & D would be my preference. Love your site and in-sight, and after a 10 year absence from your work, I have really enjoyed getting back to you. But I am usually back to you in the 9:30 to 10 am time frame. Take some time, enjoy some of the tranquility each new day brings.

  10. George, you might as well do option “C”
    There have been many times over the years that non paying subscribers get the same info that I pay for.

    • Almost always on a delayed basis, but you’re right…with some of what comes out on Peoplenomics I feel like almost (how to say this?) compelled to share some of the insights…

  11. Been reading Urban/People since the first year you published. Your column/blog is what I read with my first cup of coffee. That being said, in a ‘perfect’ world, I would vote option B – later in the day publishing. However, our days are decreasing, not increasing, and enjoying life and its moments, your family are far more important than a column. So, I would say, Urban 2 or 3x week, People 1x week, unless some major newsevent happens. Would miss you every morning, but, we can all adjust.

    Have enjoyed and valued your insights, thoughts, and ideas over the years, and want to thank you for your hard work.

  12. Publish later in the day if that will be more convenient.

    Do not reduce the number of days publishing.

    I’m 81 with few things to look forward to.

    Get out of Dodge … Obama martial law.

    Have to be first. How you know when?

    Share this magical secret!

  13. I read both publications daily, but the value for me is strategic, not tactical. Doesn’t really matter to me what time of day they are published. I usually read around 9 a.m. Eastern time, but I’d just as happily read them in my pre-dinner leisure time. Why not publish Urban at a time and frequency of your convenience? After all, there is not even an implicit contract with your audience there. I do like the Saturday a.m. timing of Peoplenomics, but the time of the second issue doesn’t really matter to me.

  14. I enjoy the daily at work during lunch but lately have been unale to since the government usually gets around to blocking access to internet on government sites. This is usually due to a jerk in the government being unble to control his porn addiction and our site is no different. Then we contractors bear the burden when he gets caught.
    In our case it even resulted in the blocking of WiFi since said jerk was also using his cell phone.
    So I can’t read US until dinner time anyway, back at the apartment.
    So if you want to sleep in it’s ok with me.
    Or you could make it a review of the last days action rather than the early prediction of the days activities…This may even be a better thing if people want to call thier broker or go online and set a trade based on something they read.
    Anyway what I do is load US on a thumb drive and read at lunch anyway, just a day late.
    Big Al (in Birmingham for a Week, but no warmer than Pueblo)

  15. 9 AM Eastern Time is what works for me since that is when I log on, once I get to work, to see what happened overnight. Not sure if that would change what time you get up to write … but it might.

    The idea of cutting out one day a week of YOUR writing and just devoting that to a daily column of reader comments sounds like a good idea to me. Sure one can click through your column to read them now, but you could take the best of them for the last week, put them into a column format the evening before, and voila just hit the “Print” button the next morning. Pick any day but Monday (imo), though Friday in my mind seems best since you do a Saturday (paid readers only) column. If you do that just be sure to include some sort of indication as to what day of the previous week’s column they were commenting about.

  16. I’ve been a daily reader of Urban Survival since the beginning, although I look forward to breakfast and U S every morning I definitely get where you’re coming from. You’ve proselytized a fair bit about investing in ourselves so as much as I hate to say it my vote is D. Hell George, if I were in your shoes I might even consider doing U S 2 days a week!

  17. Keep Peoplenomics the same but drop Urban to 3 days a week and publish it mid-morning. If something extra special super squirrel happens, bump out an email to Peoplenomics subscribers saying you’ve posted.

  18. George,
    Please, please, please don’t change anything. We ranch and, like you, are early risers. Your column is the first thing I turn to in the morning before heading out to do chores and it gives me things to ponder while I’m working. There’s no newspaper, television, or radio out here to listen to. All my news comes from your website and I’ve been a subscriber for several years now. In fact, I think I’m paid up a couple of years in advance. I know that one of these days you’ll have to slow down, but for your sake and mine I hope it’s later rather than sooner. Hang in there pal, you can do it and unlike most of us, you ARE making a difference…a very positive one.

  19. try 1 day on and 1 day off and see if there is a completely different george waking up each day or if you are drinking alcohol allow at least 3 hrs for each drink to wear off then try 4 hrs then 5 etc just dont drink them all at once it willbe who is that fellow writing the column this morning lol

  20. I am so habituated to your current schedule that helps make my day. But what ever rings your bell will be fine with me. Thanks for doing the work.

  21. Publish later in the morning, but publish with same frequency. Have enjoyed reading since found you in 2002 with the Independence Journal.

  22. I have gone to your site first thing six days a week for years. I just like reading your perspective on things. But, if you posted later, I’d still read your column. I think you might sell more subscriptions if more people knew that they have the option of $20 every six months, rather than $40 once a year.
    I do not invest in the stock market, so Peoplenomics is not more important to me than Urban Survival. I like Warhammer and Oilman2 and all your other sources.
    I don’t have an airplane, don’t work much with power tools, don’t have much high-tech computer interests, and don’t invest in the stock market. So, why do I read your columns every day without fail? I like you. I like your perspective on things and your sense of humor. It keeps me from panicking and getting bitter with the way we are sliding into collapse.
    I am a prepper. I do have a garden, a greenhouse, chicken coop and rabbits. So, we share the value that it is good to be aware of what is going on and how to deal with it.I’d like to read more on your take on the U.N. Agenda 21.
    I’m hoping you will continue to write 6 days a week. Five Urban Survivals and one Peoplenomics would be fine with me. I’d pay $20 every six months whether you wrote Peoplenomics or not.

  23. after writing what i just wrote , i just realized that i dont need heat in the house after laughing so hard ha ahahh h goodnesss they say laughter is the best medicine and is that how the eskimos keep warm by laughing all the time with that big smile on their faces

  24. Go with d
    Then start segmenting and indexing all your great info
    Start a small ques ans consulting … ie solar, startup, kids saving, business model, etc. Its hard to find previous topics or maybe I don’t know how or am lazy ..lol my time vs paying ?? … there is something there but not sure if its worth it for you. Anyway… do D ..best to you and yours …including Zuss (sp?)

  25. Definitely later in the day. Maybe even just blog whenever the muse hits during the day. This would also give you more “on the news” response as things change in the day.

    By the way, one of the main active ingredients in the apple cider is Boron. This also helps anyone who has arthritis and also removes heavy metals from the body. You can also get it by disolving 1/4 teaspoon of mule team borax in a litre of water and drinking it each day.

  26. As a long time freeloader I’d say ‘B’ with a little ‘D’ that is, if it’s a slow news day don’t feel like you have to write anything. I don’t read every day but when I do I usually try to catch up on the days I missed.

  27. George,

    As one baby boomer to another, I suggest you get some additional rest in the AM. Try getting up at 6 or 7 instead of 4AM. Have breakfast and some coffee. Then, write the Urban Survival column for the day. As you say frequently it is not investment advice so receiving your sage thoughts and witty insights at 11 AM or Noon each day would be great.

    Your writing and comments have been an integral part of my mornings for more than a decade. Peoplenomics is a favorite and I look forward to it twice a week.

    So hang in there, and continue the march. The world is a fascinating and crazy place.

    It just happens that we have front row seats.

  28. B&D Urban Survival M-Tu F, Peoplenomics W-Sat. Notice how just about everyone accepts the old Norse gods without question?

    New thought–first to burn after glucose is glycogen, there is a quick loss the first few days, then leveling out into the glucose-fat burn cycle. See how you do the next couple of weeks. The early loss serves to encourage persistence.

    Snuggle time with one’s blonde/brunette/etc, is very precious, especially when one is 70+. Can’t see the finish line, I know it’s closer than it used to be. Hate the mornings when I wake up early and can’t get back to sleep, and get up early. Tea/coffee helps, but it’s not a substitute.

  29. Just enjoy your rambling…usually read you early but look you up anytime I have extra time…I am 66 and still working so I understand wanting to slow down a little…but you will make many disappointed if you slow too much…..

  30. I have always thought you did Urbansurvival because you enjoyed it. A soapbox & people who enjoy what you have to say, does it get any better than that?

    Time is really all we have, spending (using) it doing something you enjoy is where it’s at.

  31. George you are certainly entitled to your valuable time.
    Go for it.

    Two sites I come to every morning is NDC and Urbansurvival, like an addiction to ‘real’ happenings.

  32. multiple meals per day – are not really how humans grew up in the wild. Instead, people apparently used to walk around, looking for food, hunting and foraging, until they found something.

    Gee I think I still do this to some degree and then taking my forage to the chair to watch tv isn’t how our ancestors did it.. but then I don’t think raiding the refrigerator or the tv and recliner is how even our grandparents did it. LOL LOL

  33. Life is short. Do whatever feels right for you. But expect the paid readership to fall. You don’t get something without losing something else.

  34. I’ve been reading your site since you were in LA and appreciate all the useful info. Even though I get up at 5am, I don’t usually read your site until about 10am anyway (with breakfast – I’m on the same diet), option B would be my choice, but couldn’t blame you if you opted for B & D.

  35. Change slowly from 4 am to 5 am and see how that works for you.

    Second, when on vacation you truly need to be on a vacation. Put up sign on website: GONE FISHING will be back on ….

    You are getting tired because you truly never have a vacation.

  36. I like B and D plus increase the fee to $50 per year also. I believe you deserve some inflation ;) I really enjoy your site and I’m a fan.

  37. I would be okay with a later publication of Urban Survival or even only publishing 3 days a week. I would be sad if I could not read it at all. I don’t subscribe to Peoplenomics because I don’t invest in the stock market and do not relate too much to the econimic information. Thanks.

    • I subscribe and am very happy that I do. I don’t invest in stocks yet, though I’d like to if I feel that I can win 80% of the time. My investments are in other areas such as real estate, machinery, and commodities.

      That said, Peoplenomics represents real value for me since there are other things mentioned. Even one valuable link leading me in a better direction is worth $40.00 a year, and I enjoy the writing. I also want to keep George incentivized to keep sharing his wordly wealth.

  38. Make the free stuff 2 or 3 times a week on a subscription basis (Push to email), pay side normal 2. Move all to Peoplenomics and dump urbansurvival. This will also save bandwidth. Make a forum for your feedback and I bet you could find a few willing to moderate. Cut down your time investment in this “thing” and enjoy living. Also, share your succession plan for the ranch and survival things as you seem more aware of your age lately. I know all of that will change if Jr moves back “home”, but, what if he doesn’t? Thanks for all the reading over the years!

  39. B and/or D would be more than I deserve for the $40 annual Peoplenomics subscription I pay. Thanks to you and Elaine for the wonderful example you both are to my wife (also Elaine) and myself. Both born in the 50’s we use your lead as one of our guide’s to build/maintain the foundation for the years ahead.

  40. Typical American point of view. Americans have had their ability to perceive motivation programmed out of them. Putin is the most popular national leader in the world. What does he have to gain by offing anyone? He predicted 2 years ago that usa interests would assassinate someone in his country to reflect badly on his presidency. You fell for that one, hook line and sinker, just like the typical old (American) man.

    Russian Health Breakthrough

    Yeah…simple. You can add years to your life not opposing the Putin regime.

    And btw, cutting back on any of your activities in any way is not a good business model. You deserve to work your old ass to the bone and into the grave, because that is the only way you are going to be able to AFFORD YOUR AMERICAN LIFESTYLE which as an exceptional American you deserve. So just keep taking those uppers, and keep that cash flow going.

    I signed up for the Ecuadorian lifestyle, got myself a domestic source of income, never drink coffee before 10AM (if I feel like I need it earlier, I go back to bed), and bank nine out of twelve of my social security checks. CD’s here pay 9-10%. My wife started up her allergy elimination practice, and made enough in the last year to pay for her ticket to the states to visit her 78 year old best friend. They just opened a sushi bar in town, $3.75 for five pieces. The beach is six hours away, pristine sand for as far as you can see in both directions, hotel at the beach is $15 per night. It’s a tough life, but somebody’s gotta do it.

  41. Definitely B. D sounds great, too. In fact, working your way down to just one day per week for US. You could look at it as a draw for Peoplenomics, and a review of the weeks happenings. You deserve to be paid for your hard and entertaining work, so raising your rates wouldn’t be a bad way to go either.

  42. Since.your tone is so conversational, I think your us site helps people
    Feel less lonely and isolated – an
    Invaluable service in this age of
    Machine devices.
    Publish at 10 AM , 4 days a week.
    Wean readers gently.
    Thanks for your efforts.

  43. I have been reading you since 2007 I think. Its the first thing I read in the morning at work with my bagel. I enjoy your perspective and your stories. I get as much enjoyment about what goes on at the ranch or remodeling as I do reading the serious stuff on the peoplenomics side.
    I would suggest moving Peoplenomicss off Sundays and putting it during the week and dropping one Urban Survival (2 Peps/3 Urban no weekends). IF you feel you need more time then move all content to Peoplenomics. But keep writing your thoughts down on a daily basis (jotting stories around the ranch or tool work, that kind of thing, not look-up articles) and publish that as part of the Peoplenomics.
    Love your work and I really appreciate your writing. I even remember seeing you in Tyler TX.

  44. Sleep in & publish later in the morning. I read you because I like what you have to say. So cutting your days wouldn’t be my (selfish) choice. I subscribe to P because I want to support your work, not because I have any money to invest.

  45. I retired a second time when I asked myself why I was getting up at 5 AM to catch a 6 AM bus to be downtown before 7 AM. Now I get up about 7:30. I encourage you to get up a little later also. I like to read Urban Survival, but will be glad to read it after lunch instead of after breakfast.

  46. Keep you subscription schedule as is…change your daily schedule to an as needed…based on subscriber desires or suggestions. Use the topics requested as jump off points for future discussions.

  47. publish later. This is selfish because I like to include your reading in my day every day but also because I know you’ll get some bee in your bonnet that you will want to write about and you won’t want to wait.

    So cut some slack, write it when you feel like it and aim for each day even if you don’t make it each day, we’ll understand. And be jealous.

  48. I’m a night-time reader, so it doesn’t matter to me how early or how late you publish. Here’s something I’ve seen on some blogs: One day a week, go back thru your archives and republish an old post. Maybe publish an old Peoplenomics post on the Urban site. It would give you a day off of writing, and it might result in more subscribers.

  49. I’m really NOT into swallowing pills – for any reason – although lately my Dr seems not to care how “I” feel about that. As easy as the vinegar pill might seem – you can get the same result from the vinegar – In “Herbal Vinegar” Maggie Oster lays out lot’s of things vinegar are used for.

    As for your publishing schedule – later in the morning is fine with me – and when you go on vacation – let the US go on one as well – maybe just twice a week.

  50. Later in the day is a better for the non-peoplenomics than less often. Less often is better than not at all.

    You’ve got to do what YOU are comfortable with, not what the mass of readers are.

  51. I don’t usually have time to read until I get home from work, so later in the day would be fine. Also I have no issues with you publishing Urban fewer times during the week. I love Both Urban and Peoplenomics. Most of the Finance Stuff is over my head, but over time I’ve at least learned to follow what your charts are trying to say. I love your humor and I love the common sense stuff. Thanks for all your hard work.

  52. Go for option B and D. I read for strategy, not daily tactical advice. It doesn’t really matter when during the day your work shows up. But I rather enjoy Saturday a.m. coffee with Peoplenomics.

  53. I don’t read the site until after lunch. In fact, I rarely go online at all in the a.m. because 7:20 a.m. can become 10:15 a.m. in the blink of an eye. Mornings are for getting to Zumba class a few times a week and getting to the grocery store before the grade school moms and ultra old people. So I’m fine with a later posting time. As for frequency, try four Urbans (M, Tu., Th., F) and one Peoplenomics…or three and one.
    I really appreciate your enthusiasm about so many things–and about learning more and more. My head would explode if I took on a fourth of the projects you do. Turning 65 (which happened to me 2 years ago) is a strange experience. Your health is the same, your brainpower is the same, yet you feel like you’ve stepped through the looking glass. Society tells you that you are taking your first steps on the road to irrelevance, with cheaper bus rides, discounted movie tickets and 20% off days at Walgreen’s. But there’s a blessing to this sea change. You realize that you don’t have to be Type A seven days a week. So George, you have created a mighty body of work, and you have entertained and educated many, many readers. Sleep a little later, write a little less, and when you go on a vacation, just post once a week.

  54. George, I am grateful for whatever time you offer us. It is pieces of your life you give us every day. Would like to have you as part of my life as long as possible, so keep to yourself whatever life you need for your health and for your family and for your own peace of mind. God bless you…

  55. As a long time free reader, I would have no problem with later updates. Depending how your ad revenue is working out for the free site cutting it down to 3 or even 2 days a week.

    If you wanted to keep people coming to the site every day you could say updated at least 2 days a week and write on the other 2 if you feel like it.

    Another option would be to split your regular column from the coping section, so while you write them on the same day if you want you could post regular column on M/R and coping column on T/F or some combination essentially cutting your work in half but still providing new content on the same schedule.

    But in the end it’s all about what works best for you as it is your time that goes into this very enjoyable site.

  56. Hi George – I am a subscriber to Peoplenomics even though I’m not interested in finance, investing or imaginary statistics and gov published numbers. It’s you and your outlook on life and philosophy and humor that I like. So I suggest you cut that down to one day a week – it could probably still be timely and in-depth enough. You could have a five day a week schedule and weekends off! It’s not an issue for me what time of day you publish but I highly recommend sleeping in later and having better evenings. Your friendly and curmudgeonly take on current events often makes me smile out loud. Thanks for the writing and take care. Laura

  57. Come on, George.

    Don’t forget that fundamental force of modern economics, scarcity, which would come into play if you curbed back your content.

    People would probably value what you say even more.

    Just saying…

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