13 Bankers

This book convincingly argues that banks that are to big to fail should not be tolerated. They have no incentive to control their risks and their political power is too big. They should be broken up into smaller pieces. For instance, one could forbid an institution to be both, a saving bank and an invenstment bank. It might be wise to put a limit to the size of a bank, said limit could be higher (e.g. twice higher) for a saving bank (less risky) than for an investment bank (more risky).

Lessons from "out of the ashes"

If you are proposed a position as a new CEO for a company, make sure to know why the board of director proposes you this job. You should know what their expectations are so that you know on what their trust relies
In time of crisis, a new CEO has an advantage over the previous one: The benefit of the doubt amongst his employees.
It is primordial for a new CEO to inspire trust. For this, he must speak out the truth.
Other tasks he should endorse are :

• induce the adequate sense of emergency to the staff,
• capitalising on good news,
• give the good example (no luxuries if cost reduction is asked to the employees),
• be at the heart of the action (open door policy, no ivory tower).

Important values must be either made permanent and obvious to all through the use of symbols, or repeated at every occasions.

One of the forces of christianity is...

...that like good commercials, it insits that its offer is time-limited (convert now because rapture is comming...)

Why do beavers build dams?

The ulimate reason is that a dam creates a body of water that makes a relatively safe neighborhood for a beaver family. But it is very likely that the beaver is unaware of this. The proximate reason, i.e. the real reason as far as the beaver is concern, is that he hates the sound of running water!
Researchers have shown that if you place headspeakers playing the sound of running water at proximity to beavers, the beavers will do all what they can to stop it! In one experiment, the beavers covered the headspeaker with mud until the sound stopped...

Raël and the Raël girls...or how to fulfill your fantasies by creating a sect.

You know Rael, right? This French Guru who pretends that we were made by Aliens and who pretended that his sect cloned a baby girl some years ago. Ever wondered how it was to go to one of his seminar? So read the following exellent blog post! Very interesting!

http://www.jamesgunn.com/2010/09/02/undercover-raelians-i-infiltrate-the-sex-and-ufo-cult/

How to devise the most efficient workout for gaining endurance, power, mass or force?

The following information is derived from the most recent scientific data.

0)Vocabulary:

Each exercise of a workout is typically performed in a number of sets of repetitions of this movement with or without a load (e.g. additional weight in the form of a barbell or dumbells).

Repetitions are performed without interuptions or with a short interuption.

A set is composed of 1 or more repetitions of a same exercise. A pause of at least 30 seconds is marked between two sets.

1RM is your record load for one repetition of one exercise. 5RM is the highest load with which you succeed to make 5 repetitions of one exercise.

The following parameters are important and will be discussed:

1)Which exercises?
2)How to perform each exercise?
3)With which load?
4)How many sets of repetitions and how many repetitions in a set?
5)How much rest between two sets?
6)How many days of rest between two workout?
7)What to do during rest days?
8)What to eat?
9)How much sleep?

1)Which exercises?

The Best exercise is the squat. It is the most complete workout for the lower body and it is a full body workout. It is the exercise that triggers the biggest release of anabolic hormones in the blood. As a result, this exercise has a synergetic effect on all other exercises.
The squat can typically be performed without weights, with a barebell or with dumbells. The barebell permits to lift more weight but requires a spotter (somebody ready to help you if you get stuck under the bar) or a security cage. The dumbells do not permit do lift as much weight due to the limited force you have in your hands to sustain the dumbells. However, the dumbells are safer since it is easy to release them in case of problems.

A close second is the deadlift which is an excellent full body workout

The best exercise for the upper body is the military press

2) How to perform each exercise?

Good form is important to avoid injuries. Injuries can be dramatic so it is of the uttermost importance to have a trainer explain to you the right form for each exercise or that at least you watch several tutorial on the internet.

The concentric move (e.g. for the squat, when the legs are extended to lift the weight) must be perfomed as fast as possible. The excentric move must be slower.

It is benefical to take a 4 seconds pause between the excentric and the concentric part of a movement.


3) Which load?

For endurance: 45 to 60% of 1RM

For preparation to hypertrophy or force (one month of preparation is advised to prepare your joints and ligaments if you are a beginner): 60% of 1RM

For hypertrophy: 70-82.5% of 1RM

For force: 85%+ of 1RM

4)How many sets of repetitions and how many repetitions in a set?

For hypertrophy or force, always do c.a. 25 repetitions divided in a certain number of sets. Said otherwise, the number of sets time the number of repetitions in a set must be c.a. 25.

rep * set = 25

For instance 5 sets of 5 repetitions or 2 sets of 12 repetitions or 8 sets of 3 repetitions.

The load should be chosen so that performing the last repetition of the last set is very hard but doable.

Suggestions:

For hypertrophy:

2 sets * 12 reps @70% of 1RM, or
3 sets * 8 reps @75% of 1RM, or
4 sets * 6 reps @80% of 1RM

For force (@85-100% of 1RM):

6 sets of 4 reps, or
8 sets of 3 reps, or
12 sets of 2 reps, or
25 sets of 1 rep.

5 sets of 5 reps @ 82.5% of 1RM is an excellent compromise between force and hypertrophy

5)How much rest between two sets?

For hypertrophy: short pauses (30 s to 2 min)

For force: longer pauses (2 min to 4 min)

6)How many days of rest between two workout?

1 or 2

7)What to do during rest days?

nothing or stretching or light exercises (e.g. working out the forearms) or light cardio.

8)What to eat?

Eat plenty. Make sure to eat enough proteins. Whey protein isolate powders can help. Avoid fast sugar such as sucrose. Don't avoid fat (except trans fat).

9)How much sleep?

7.5 hours is a minimum for most people.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali is pregnant!

Excellent news! Seeing such bright persons reproduce always cheers me up! By the way, I just finished listening to the audio version of "Nomad" and the book is worth it if only for her views and advices on how to preserve our secular societies from the rise of radical islam. However, to really appreciate this book, I think it is better to start by her first book: "infidel" which is her autobiography.