The Case Against Passion – naked capitalism

But the real question is who this vogue for romantic attachment to one’s work really serves. Faking passion in job interviews seems to be as necessary as faking orgasms is in some relationships. On the surface, this long-lived fas appeals to the narcissistic tendencies that are ever more common in American society, that we all have some special talent or destiny and we are supposed to go forth and, to use that horrible New Age turn of phrase, manifest it.

But being emotionally invested in career success as the proof of one’s worth makes people exploitable. That’s the secret of elite firms like Goldman and McKinsey, which hire people who were not simply bright, but have a record of achievements that shows that they care deeply about external validation. When an organizational guru came in to give a look over McKinsey in the 1980s, he was famously told by the head of the firm, “Don’t mess with the insecurity.”

via The Case Against Passion « naked capitalism.

Passion is overrated.  Love is perhaps too strong a term.  I prefer extreme liking.  Are you passionate about your work?  Do you love what you do?  Or do you simply like what you do?

Do or not do.  There is no try.

Yoda

Earlier LDL Focus Could Be Beneficial/Stains Alter Predictive Value of LDL

Medical News:%20ACC: Earlier LDL Focus Could Be Beneficial – in Meeting Coverage, ACC from MedPage Today.

Taking steps to maintain a low level of LDL cholesterol from very early in life will likely have substantial benefits in preventing coronary heart disease.

Medical News:%20Statins Alter Predictive Value of LDL – in Cardiovascular, Dyslipidemia from MedPage Today.

  • Among patients taking statins, on-treatment levels of non-high-density lipoprotein (non-HDL) cholesterol may be best for predicting future cardiovascular events, according to a meta-analysis.
  • The study suggests that non-HDL cholesterol may be a more appropriate target for statin therapy than LDL cholesterol.

 

Apnea Treatment Gets Heart Back in Shape

Several studies have suggested that obstructive sleep apnea contributes to the development of left ventricular systolic and diastolic dysfunction and, possibly, heart failure. Note that this study indicates that moderate-to-severe sleep apnea can cause structural and functional changes in left ventricular function comparable to that seen in hypertension and, further, these abnormalities significantly improve following CPAP therapy.

via Medical News:Apnea Treatment Gets Heart Back in Shape – in Cardiovascular, CHF from MedPage Today.

Pink Slime – You Want Fries With That?

Similar to a previous dissection they had performed on hot dogs, the researchers discovered waste and by-products including connective tissue, nerve tissue, cartilage, bone, and in a quarter of the samples, Sarcocystis parasites. But surely these “fillers” were the minority, right? Unfortunately not. After crunching the numbers, the researchers found that the amount of actual meat (muscle flesh) in the burgers ranged from 2.1 percent to 14.8 percent.

via Michael Greger, M.D.: Pink Slime: All About the Green.

What is Bach Worth? – The Domino Project

What is Bach worth? – The Domino Project.

The real question is how much would you pay for 9 hours of classical music?  Would you pay 99 cents?

I checked Amazon today and the deal is still on.  I clicked and bought.  Amazon is hoping that a lot of people will click and buy.  The company is clearly betting on a social media referral strategy, hoping that enough people will email, link, blog, etc., about this offer to drive sales.

Hopefully Amazon will share the results of their experiment.