Blog - foXnoMad

Muhammad Ali Turns 65 Today

by Anil Polat | Jan 17, 2007 | Travel | 2

Normally I wouldn’t simply post because it is someones birthday – but this is the phenomenon known as Muhammad Ali who stood up to the entire world outside of the boxing ring and gave little Muslim and black kids all over the world a hero to look up to.

Quote on refusing to be drafted for Vietnam (which cost him his boxing license in the prime of his fighting years).

Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go 10,000 miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on Brown people in Vietnam while so-called Negro people in Louisville are treated like dogs and denied simple human rights?

No I?m not going 10,000 miles from home to help murder and burn another poor nation simply to continue the domination of white slave masters of the darker people the world over. This is the day when such evils must come to an end. I have been warned that to take such a stand would cost me millions of dollars. But I have said it once and I will say it again.

The real enemy of my people is here. I will not disgrace my religion, my people or myself by becoming a tool to enslave those who are fighting for their own justice, freedom and equality. If I thought the war was going to bring freedom and equality to 22 million of my people they wouldn?t have to draft me, I?d join tomorrow. I have nothing to lose by standing up for my beliefs. So I?ll go to jail, so what? We?ve been in jail for 400 years.

UPDATED: A very good article on his legacy here.

Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia

by Anil Polat | Jan 17, 2007 | Health and Fitness | 2

The fear of long words is hard to pronounce but it is a real word. I wonder if learning ~~really long stupid~~ difficult words helps prevent dementia as well.

Being Bilingual Delays Onset of Dementia

by Anil Polat | Jan 17, 2007 | Culture, Health and Fitness | 0

Yet another good reason to learn another language and teach your kids. If you don’t have kids, make some, and then teach them.

Canadian scientists have found astonishing evidence that the lifelong use of two languages can help delay the onset of dementia symptoms by four years compared to people who are monolingual.

“There are no pharmacological interventions that are this dramatic,” says Dr. Freedman, who is Head of the Division of Neurology, and Director of the Memory Clinic at Baycrest, referring to the four-year delay in onset of symptoms for bilingual patients.

Those of you not in school no matter what language you learn go with immersion classes, the best way to learn and retain lingual information.

You can start with these dirty French words. Learning a language will not only help you remember your name when your 85, but also encourage you to travel before then. You’ll get more out of Egypt if you know Arabic, catch my drift?

Personally I wonder if knowing 3 or more languages provides an added protection against age-related brain decay. Guess we’ll just have to wait for that study in a few years.

Kirk Cameron Proves There is A God

by Anil Polat | Jan 16, 2007 | Travel | 3

…in less than three minutes. No, really.

Find the Cheapest Airplane Tickets: FareCompare

by Anil Polat | Jan 16, 2007 | Advice, Air, Travel | 0

It’s rare that such an online tool gets me this excited and if you fly (like, ever) this is a great tool for you. FareCompare lets you set any international home city, and they lists the cheapest prices to any city in the world you can imagine. It even gives you a 12 month history of the ticket prices. FareCompare goes through all of the major online ticket retailers for you.

Personally, I thought the Google maps it creates with a price next to each city was very cool indeed – and this Firefox extension.

Before you fly, check it.

Thanks Winky!

Woman Overdoses on Water

by Anil Polat | Jan 16, 2007 | Health and Fitness | 0

For a radio contest. If you are wondering how water can kill you, the BBC has a nice little write-up. Here is the jist:

Jennifer Strange had taken part in the “Hold Your Wee for a Wii” game, which promised the winner a Nintendo Wii. Afterwards she reportedly said her head was hurting and went home, where she was later found dead. Initial tests have shown her death is consistent with water intoxication.

Drinking too much water can eventually cause your brain to swell, stopping it regulating vital functions such as breathing, and causing death.