Author Archives: Steve Tilford

Supposed to Rain

This entry was posted in Just Life on by .

It is supposed to rain real soon.  I’m going to head out and maybe do intervals, yes I said intervals, close to the apartment.  I think I probably need to do some efforts if I’m going to be racing next weekend.  Here are some photos from yesterday in Seattle.

We started the ride yesterday over at Fremont at the Fremont Coffee Company. Very good coffee.

We started the ride yesterday over at Fremont at the Fremont Coffee Company. Very good coffee.

Before that, we did a 7 miles walk around town. I didn't start Strava on my phone until have way in and had 3.something miles. This guy had his tent set up really in the middle of the street. The building behind the tree is super cool.

Before that, we did a 7 miles walk around town. I didn’t start Strava on my phone until have way in and had 3.something miles. This guy had his tent set up really in the middle of the street. The building behind the tree is super cool.

It was a better neat place to camp. Not sure that would work in Kansas. He was gone by the time we walked back by.

It was a better neat place to camp. Not sure that would work in Kansas. He was gone by the time we walked back by.

We walked by the biggest REI store in the world. I guess their corporate flagship store. It was enormous.

We walked by the biggest REI store in the world. I guess their corporate flagship store. It was enormous.

The store was so big they had their own park ranger stationed there.

The store was so big they had their own park ranger stationed there.

It had the biggest climbing wall I've ever seen.

It had the biggest climbing wall I’ve ever seen.

These are just some of the snowshoes. They had a whole other wall.

These are just some of the snowshoes. They had a whole other wall.

 

I didn't know Garneau made snowshoes.

I didn’t know Garneau made snowshoes.

A nice bamboo snowboard.

A nice bamboo snowboard.

Doors to a meeting room in REI.

Doors to a meeting room in REI.

This guy was emptying the trash and when he did it he feed the seagulls.

This guy was emptying the trash and when he did it he feed the seagulls.

They are building like crazy here in Seattle.

They are building like crazy here in Seattle.

The construction workers were lining up to get lunch in a 7-11. I've never considered eating lunch there. Most were getting either a slice of pizza or hotdog, along with a Rockstar or other energy drink. Strange.

The construction workers were lining up to get lunch in a 7-11. I’ve never considered eating lunch there. Most were getting either a slice of pizza or hotdog, along with a Rockstar or other energy drink. Strange.

 

We walked over by the Space Needle, to a Sports bar to watch the KU vs ISU basketball game. It was the local gathering spot for expatriate KU fans.

We walked over by the Space Needle, to a Sports bar to watch the KU vs ISU basketball game. It was the local gathering spot for expatriate KU fans.

A old friend, and sponsor, Josh Crow came by and sat during the game for a couple hours. It was great catching up.

A old friend, and sponsor, Josh Crow came by and sat during the game for a couple hours. It was great catching up.

They have a thing about having locks on the bathrooms here in Seattle. You normally need a code to get in.

They have a thing about having locks on the bathrooms here in Seattle. You normally need a code to get in.

This is climbing off Lake Washington towards the I-90 bike path. I did a lap of Mercier Island yesterday. It was wet, but not raining.

This is climbing off Lake Washington towards the I-90 bike path. I did a lap of Mercier Island yesterday. It was wet, but not raining.

 

 

Herbal Supplements – Most likely a Total Fraud

This entry was posted in Important Society Issues on by .

I saw this article on a financial website, Marketwatch, which says that the state of New York’s attorney general office did some scientific DNA tests of herbal supplements and found that over 80% of the supplements sold at Walmart, Walgreens and GNC contained none of the ingredients that were listed on their labels and that a substantial number of the supplements contained NO botanical substance of any kind.  They have been ordered to stop selling the products immediately.

Wow, that seems incredible to me.  The article said that Walmart’s products were the worse.  Go figure.  Only 4% of their products contained DNA from the plants on the labels.  That means that 96% of their products are a complete sham.

You’d think that we, living here in the United States, expect to be buying exactly what is in the bottle and what is in the bottle is exactly what the label says is in the bottle.  It is really a given in today’s society, at least I think it is.  It is elementary.

The article says that instead of Ginseng, Echinacea, etc., the products contained beans, pine, rice, asparagus, wheat and on and on.  Crazy.

I loved the response by GNC –

GNC said it stands by the “quality, purity and potency” of its products, which it said it tests using “validated and widely used testing methods.” It criticized the testing methods but said it will comply with the order.

They will none-the-less, “comply with the order”.  That is because they realize they won’t sell any of the stuff because people will realize that what they’ve been buying is beans and rice and not Echinacea or any other herbal supplement.

I’d bet I personally have some of these products in my cabinet.  From friends giving me homeopathic medicines for when I’m feeling bad, etc.  I’ve never really taken many of them though.  I’m glad now.

If this is all true, I think someone should sue the shit out of all these companies.  That is what our civil legal process should be all about.  Punishing people/and or companies, for misleading or completely cheating others.  And this would fall under the completely cheating category.  No doubt about it.

herbalsupplements